RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 25-1: Reactions (Part 1)

RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 25-1: Reactions (Part 1)

"Operation Siren's Song is over! We won!"

"DAMN RIGHT, WE DID~!" The entire War Room broke into a well-deserved cheer. Finally, after an intense, multi-day operation, featuring both day and night monitoring, the skirmishes at the Atlantic are brought to a close. Bismarck and Prinz Eugen have prevailed and the 1st Carrier Strike Group has mobbed up the rest. The impromptu operation is a resounding success that will no doubt be going into history books.

"All right, all right! Settle down, ladies and gents!" Yuki, with a big grin and her uncovered red eye lighting up in amusement, clapped her hands together. "You all have done well so far, let's not let the news of victory make you inattentive now, yeah? Continue with your command and control duty, they will need all the help they can get to tow our trophies back. Once we're done, I am authorizing you all for a three-day paid leave with a bonus. That's the only fitting reward after I asked all of you to spend days and nights away from your family."

Understandably, the staff manning the War Room give Yuki a prim and proper salute over the generous reward. "Hail, Marshal!"

Yuki chuckles before waving them off back to work. She too sits down and gazes at a live video feed from a drone. The screen shows a splendorous view of the King George V being towed away by the Fur Spaniard convoy. And very soon, an Erusean Aircraft Carrier and two cruisers will be joining her. Though Yuki is feeling very pleased, she can't stop her fingers from massaging her temple. Like her staff in this War Room beneath the Obsidian Castle, Yuki has been sleeping minimally for days. Suddenly, a pair of hands lay on Yuki's shoulders, massaging and alleviating her fatigue. Yuki moans softly for the owner of those miraculous hands to hear. The tired Marshal knows just who is administering the fatigue relief for her.

"Ah~, Bryn, what would I do without you by my side?" Yuki said while closing her eye.

"Maybe keeling over unconscious?" Bryn responded with a small smile. "You're awfully more tense than usual. I guess it's the result of bad eating habits and lack of rest these past few days."

Yuki helplessly shrugs at that. "What can I say? It's one thing for me to personally lead an army, it's another thing to leave such a volatile mission in the hands of someone else to execute. Many things could go wrong, and that's why I have to work in the background to ensure it doesn't blow up in our face."

"And you have done well enough already. I think it's high time you take a break. The war isn't going anywhere and I think our boys and girls here are more than capable of pulling their weights."

"Yeah, that's right. It's just that I am a," Yuki makes an airquote gesture with a smile. "'Workaholic'."

Bryn chuckles at the sudden childishness of her lover.

They then fall into their own little world with the staff in the War Room being mindful not to disturb them. The pair don't talk much but rather enjoy their silence until Yuki finds the strength to say.

"Admiral Donitz must be giddy as Hell right now."

"The man receives the windfall of capturing not one, but four enemy vessels. That will no doubt be a major propaganda victory for him. Knowing him, he will try to boost the Reichsmarine's recruitment with this." Bryn commented on the situation.

"And I will allow that. It's his men and women that brought us the win. And with our future naval expansion plan, I reckon the Reichsmarine will be needing that recruitment drive more than ever." Yuki added with a smile. "I will have to work with him later to bring about a concrete plan to present to my mothers."

Bryn nods, already chalking it up as another important task to aid Yuki with. "Then what about the warships we captured?"

"Both King George V and Ark Royal are heavily damaged, with the latter still being worked on by the surrendered Eruseans, although things seem to be good on that front. Regardless, They are capital vessels in their own right, if we can bring them to our home port and patch them up, we can display them grandly in either Wilhelmshaven or Hamburg or both. As for the two cruisers, I honestly don't know what to do with them. I can package them together with the captured capitals but it doesn't matter all that much in terms of impact. I reckon there are better uses of them but I can't think of one yet." Yuki answered with a pondering expression.

"On the bright side," Vill-V continued her idle walk with thoughts running across her mind. "The Royal Navy got a well-deserved slap to the face. And I can't believe they even torpedoed the Spanish. So much for the best navy in the world..."

Vill-V stops her walk when she comes across a good acquaintance of hers who just rounded the corner. "Admiral Isoroku, how nice of you to see you here."

The man being addressed turns to the voice before showing a kind smile to the summoned heroine. "Lady Vill-V, seeing you here must mean that the meeting is over?" Yamamoto Isoroku extended a hand over to Vill-V.

Vill-V smiles wryly, taking the offered palm in a handshake. "A meeting without you, as expected."

Admiral Isoroku nods. "As expected."

Hearing that, VIll-V sighs. "Walk with me."

The pair then move to an indoor Japanese garden, knowing it's a section only reserved for high-ranking personnel. Vill-V then says. "I am conflicted right now. A part of me is happy that my good friend is winning halfway across the world, another part is frustrated that she is making my job harder than it already is."

The Admiral just chuckles good-naturedly at that. "I advise you to feel happy for the moment. It will motivate you then, to finish what you started."

"I know, but it's just damn hard when those antique buffoons failed to see reasons. They are trying to sideline you in our naval development by keeping you out of these meetings. I would be in your shoes right now had I am not a close aide to Amaterasu." Vill-V exhaled frustratingly. "Belka, more specifically the Reich Marshal, has been going against every single forecast I made. Her Reichsmarine has time and time again trampled on the aircraft carriers, despite it should be the opposite that happened. The first time with the Bearn could be a fluke, but then the Aquila happened, and now not just the Hermes but also the Ark Royal fell by their hands. Granted, the second time was attributed to the Spanish but they were advised and equipped by Belka all the same."

"And now, because of their successive victories, our naval air superiority doctrine is being called into question." Yamamoto Isoroku said. "I sure wish you didn't have to resort to saying that the Western countries fail to utilize the carriers properly?"

"I even threw in the fact that they are using obsolete planes if that's what you were asking." Vill-V jested, causing the both of them to chuckle.

"In that case, our plan is in peril." Admiral Isoroky commented lightly.

"Pretty much, but I managed to salvage what I can. We just have to make do until we can battle-test our new aircraft carriers." Vill-V said before handing over a thick folder to the Admiral.

The man skims the papers and then says. "So they approved of the construction of the Taihou-class, and three of them at that, alongside the cheaper Unryu-class with five planned? What kind of sorcery did you pull this time?"

Vill-V grimaces heavily, as if about to puke. "The first dip in modernizing their Yamatos, and their surface combatants, with the best armament the world has to offer. Can you imagine that monstrosity now equipped with missiles and radars at the earliest of opportunity?"

Admiral Isoroku laughs aloud. "Hahaha! Well, her curves are truly marvelous." The Admiral paraphrased. "But at least we are getting somewhere. Thank you, for your tireless effort."

"Perhaps one day, we can prove to them that battles aren't fought with dreadnoughts anymore, but by the men and women behind a stick."