Chapter 8

The next day. I boarded the cockpit of the high-speed transport aircraft owned by Smile Dog and headed towards the Elf fleet. The destination was a space station near the planet Bennett.

This space station serves as a relay point for planet Bennett, so no one dares to make a move here easily.

By the way, as a side note, they say that maintenance personnel are not needed. It seems that the Elves will take care of everything.

"Corporal Kisaragi, we are approaching the flagship of the Elf fleet, Albireo."

"Hmm, is that so. Even up close, it looks like an ordinary battleship."

It's hard to believe that this ship carried out such a sinister attack. The armament of the battleship is quite orthodox. There are triple main guns, two on the upper and lower front, one on each side, and one on the upper and lower rear. Other armaments include secondary guns, anti-aircraft guns, and missile hatches, making it a very ordinary battleship. If anything, the only notable feature is the golden statue of a goddess attached to the bow.

"I wish it had more impact. Like a skull mark and a battle cry!"

"Well, I don't quite understand the battle cry part, but—"

While chatting with the pilot about such trivial matters, we approached the battleship Albireo.

"This is the mercenary company Smile Dog. Identification code N-67834. Please confirm."

"Confirmed. Permission to land is granted. Transfer control to us."

"Corporal, what should we do?"

"Since it's a hassle, just follow the instructions. There's no point in resisting."

"You're right. Understood."

Then, the transport aircraft was operated by them and approached Albireo. A hatch on Albireo opened, and the transport aircraft stopped just before entering the hatch.

"We will now begin the inspection of the aircraft and equipment. We will check for any suspicious items."

"Corporal, is that okay?"

"Just follow the instructions. Let them do as they please."

"Understood. I will open the hatch."

I opened the hatch of the transport aircraft. Drones appeared and began inspecting the inside of the transport aircraft. After waiting for a few minutes, communication resumed.

"We have confirmed that there are no dangerous items. We will now begin the reception of the aircraft, equipment, and pilot."

"Understood. I will move to your location. I hope we can complete the mission as quickly as possible."

"That is our hope as well. Welcome to Albireo. We welcome you."

Then, the communication ended, and I let out a deep sigh.

"They said there were no dangerous items, but don't the AW and the equipment count as dangerous items?"

"Well, I don't know. I hope you do your best. Good luck."

"Thanks. Be careful on your way back."

I got out of the cockpit and entered Albireo with the aircraft. Thinking about it, it's not every day that one gets to board an Elf battleship. Maybe I should brag about it on the internet later?

When I arrived at the hangar, four different aircraft were stationed there, separate from the Elf mass-produced models. Two were Madocks with additional scopes for sniper specifications and additional armaments in various parts, making them tricky machines. One was a variable machine, and the other was a rare lightweight machine.

The lightweight machine had high mobility but low survivability and poor endurance, making it difficult to handle. However, in the hands of an ace, it could become quite troublesome.

"I'm impressed. I guess the main character always arrives late, right? No problem."

I secured the Salagan at the designated location. After getting out of the cockpit, I was escorted by a soldier with a rifle. Or rather, it felt more like being dragged along.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Shut up, human. Follow me quietly."

"Don't be like that. This mission is about rescuing a fellow from the Union, right?"

"So what? Be quiet."

"By any chance, is this fellow of noble blood?"

"Wh-What! Where did you hear that!"

The expressionless soldier's face suddenly twisted in anger. I responded with a smile to such an angry group.

"Don't get so angry. It's not hard to guess, right? Did you think it was impossible to guess? Haha! If so, your head must be full of flowers. The Elves are just getting old. But, I should show respect to my elders."

"Stop joking around. Where is the princess! Where is she!"

"I don't know. But, if the princess is involved, the mission must be quite serious. Entrusting such a mission to mercenaries... I hope you don't stab us in the back."

I took an exaggerated attitude.

Then, Elf Soldier A lunged at me. Of course, I dodged left and right to avoid being hit. Then, Elf Soldier B joined in, and A's right straight punch hit B's handsome face directly.

B was out of the scene in just three seconds.

"How dare you to John!"

"It's not my fault. Rather, you took away John's moment. Poor guy."

John's moment probably ended there. Without a single line, he would never appear before me again. However, John would continue to carry out his mission.

I wished him a fortunate future.

"Huff, huff, why can't I hit you?"

"We don't have much time. Hurry up and show me the way."

I stopped playing around and followed Elf Soldier A obediently. A was quite exhausted.

By the way, B, also known as John, was left there mercilessly.

Finally, I was led to a briefing room. There were only four mercenaries in the room. I was told to sit in an empty chair, so I took a seat.

"You're quite late. I heard you were the ace of Smile Dog, but you don't seem like much."

The biggest and most muscular man in the room spoke. He was very muscular and looked old, but he was as solid as a rock.

Of course, I'm not a kid, so I didn't let such things bother me. First impressions are important. If I respond with a cheerful smile and act normal, most people will ignore it.

"Don't worry. The universe won't end just because I'm late. You don't have to cry to your mom."

(Sorry, I had some things to deal with. I look forward to working with you during the mission.)

Decided. Thanks to that, the big, old, muscular man was left with a stunned expression. Yes, indeed, the best approach is to act like an adult.

"Hmm, you're quite talkative. You live up to your reputation as a lucky boy. I'm a freelance mercenary, Lieutenant Cherie. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Corporal Shu Kisaragi of Smile Dog. Nice to meet you, beautiful lady."

Cherie was dressed very casually.

She was wearing a pilot suit, but the chest was open, and she had a black tank top on. Her hair color was very beautiful, changing hues with the light.

Her eyes were blue and slightly slanted. Her mouth was also slightly upturned, giving her a combative expression. And she had large fox ears. I'll say it again because it's important: she had fox ears!

"...Nishikiri Heavy Industries, Lieutenant Kawaguchi Mikuni."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Strange... no, Mr. Mask."

A man in a mask with a machine voice. He looked suspicious, but I decided to read the room and stopped. Since I didn't know much about him, I gave him a random name.

By the way, just because he's from a heavy industry company, you might think he's not a mercenary. But these days, even regular companies have private armies, and it's common for them to act like mercenaries.

"You! How dare you ignore and mock me!"

"I didn't mock you. I greeted you nicely. Well, what I think inside is different."

"Then, saying it out loud would have been better, right?"

"Really? If so, I'll forgive you, Jumbo."

"Who's Jumbo! Who's Jumbo!"

"Jumbo? Haha, you are indeed Jumbo. You're the biggest in this room."

"Please calm down. I'll introduce myself as well."

Another mercenary stood up.

"I'm also a freelance mercenary, Lieutenant William Bergs. Nice to meet you, Smile Dog's ace."

He was very handsome. Flowing golden hair, sapphire blue eyes, and a gentle smile.

A true prince was standing there.

"I'm Corporal Shu Kisaragi of Smile Dog. Excuse me, but are you a mercenary?"

"Of course. We'll be working together a lot, so I hope we can avoid conflicts."

"Well, well, when a prince like you asks, I have no choice but to comply. Besides, your rank is higher."

"Hey, I'm a captain."

"I'm a lieutenant? Follow my orders."

"I'm also a lieutenant..."

"Huh? Your voice is delayed."

"Wow, that's amazing!"

As we were having a fun? conversation, the door opened. Two female Elves in neat military uniforms and an elderly male Elf entered the room. Two more Elves, presumably guards, also entered.

"Mercenaries, it's good to see you enjoying yourselves. I will now explain the details of the mission. Some of you may already know, but—"

A female Elf with blue hair in an updo and a military cap glared at us. As expected, she was quite beautiful, but her sharp eyes made her seem cold.

The other female Elf also had a similar appearance.

I winked at the female Elf standing in front of me. She glared even more sharply.

"I am Colonel Cecilia Blattfield of the Elfenfield Army. Once I start explaining the mission, there will be no leaving. If anyone tries to leave, consider us your enemies. Of course, coming here already shows that you won't do that."

The female Elf turned her gaze back to me. This time, I blew her a kiss. Her expression became so terrifying that a child would cry just from seeing it.

What was that? So scary!

"Let me explain the situation. Our mission is a rescue. The person to be rescued is—"

There was a brief pause. At the same time, an image of the person to be rescued appeared on the screen.

From the image, I could tell that this was a noble person. A beautiful girl in her mid-teens, wearing a splendid dress. She had emerald green hair and clear blue eyes. Her well-proportioned appearance and aura combined to create a beauty that seemed almost artificial.

When we confirmed the image, Colonel Cecilia spoke.

"She is the third princess of the royal family, Princess Lilianna Calvata."

The moment she said the name, I could feel the atmosphere in the room change dramatically.