Side: Steve
"Britt, how are things looking?"
『We're about halfway ready.』
"Get them to hurry up. We're going to conduct high-altitude reconnaissance before Boss and the others head out. We can't let Princess Aslin and the others be put in danger-ssu!"
『I know, I know.』
With that, the communication cut off.
I was getting restless in the office.
I'd already finished approving all the paperwork and was ready to head out at a moment's notice.
After all, according to Boss, it seems there are dangerous folks among the enemy who use firearms.
Even if it's just doppelgangers, if Princess Aslin and the others went to such a dangerous zone and by some nightmare chance got showered with bullets, it makes my blood run cold.
Something like that is absolutely unforgivable-ssu!
Oh, how about Boss and his wives? I don't really care about them. They're strong enough to deal with something like that themselves, and I'm sure they already have countermeasures in place.
What matters is making sure Princess Aslin and the others never have to experience anything frightening. So, as for enemies using firearms or other dangerous stuff, we'll quickly scout them out, and if it looks doable, we'll wipe them out ourselves.
We'll be gathering information at the same time, so there's no problem.
"Still, Steve. Why do you think Boss said we could repel the enemy while gathering information if it looks like we can do it?"
John, who was waiting on the side, asked with a puzzled look while munching on a cucumber.
That's right.
Just as John said, we'd been given permission—and orders—to switch from reconnaissance to an attack if the results of our information gathering showed that our reconnaissance forces could repel the enemy.
"What are you saying? It's so Princess Aslin isn't put in danger."
"Yeah, I get that. But the force we're sending out is the Flying Dragon Squadron, right?"
"That's right. Every single one was named by Princess Aslin. Capable of high-speed, high-altitude flight—while they don't have the speed of a jet fighter, we're backing them up with equipment so they can maneuver like a Zero fighter. They're our elite trump card."
They could reach roughly 500 kilometers per hour, making them unquestionably among the fastest things in this world.
Well, that's in terms of cruising distance and speed; when it comes to combat speed, Boss and the others are superior. Ah, and us too, of course.
Needless to say, the Zero's biggest weaknesses—dive performance and armor—have been thoroughly patched up. When the Zero was first developed, it reigned as a fighter aircraft worthy of being called the strongest.
However, even that Zero fighter had its weaknesses. As mentioned, those were its dive performance, bullet resistance, and armor.
Back then, the Allied forces even had a rule: when you encounter a Zero Fighter, don't fight—run... The performance difference was apparently that great. There are various theories, but some stories say the Allies needed five planes against one Zero just to be on equal footing.
Now, if there was such a difference in performance, you might wonder how anyone could escape from a Zero.
As for the cause, in order to achieve maximum speed and maneuverability, thorough weight reduction was pursued.
The answer was its poor dive performance and bullet resistance—Its dive performance was so poor that it could potentially break apart in midair during a dive, while its armor was so thin that even a single bullet could penetrate it and injure the pilot.
It's complicated stuff, but according to Boss:
'It was the strongest fighter plane of World War II!!'
I appreciate how simple his answer is... though ours are Flying Dragons.
From Boss's perspective, I guess the Flying Dragon Squadron is something like a perfect Zero fighter.
"That's exactly why I'm asking. I'm fine with deploying our trump card, but Flying Dragons are a higher species than Wyverns by about two levels, right? Everyone was already making a huge fuss over Wy-chan. If they see Flying Dragons in the New Continent, won't everyone go completely nuts? Wouldn't that cause all sorts of problems? They might even form an alliance against them. I mean, if they're attacking the enemy, there's no way the August and Hiffy forces won't see them."
"Oh, that's what you're worried about. Don't worry."
"You're sure?"
"You really think Boss wouldn't have thought about something like that?"
Since Boss told us we could step in on a grand scale, there's no way he didn't prepare a follow-up cover story.
And, sure enough, his answer was so convincing that there was absolutely nothing to argue with.
The following is a flashback from that time.
* * *
"Eh?! You're sending out the Flying Dragon Squadron!?"
『Yeah, I'm counting on you for that.』
"Umm, isn't that way too far blown past the New Continent's common sense? Wouldn't a bird scouting team, like eagles, be enough?"
『If it were just scouting, sure. But since they're using guns, there's a chance our reconnaissance could be detected if we're careless. Birds could get shot down and killed. On the other hand, sending in monster-type birds has its own issues.』
"Wait, why? How does using guns make it possible for them to detect our scouts? And what's wrong with monster-type birds?"
If it's a monster-type bird, it can deploy a magic barrier durable enough to withstand gunfire, right?
It can scout thoroughly, and while its attack power isn't on par with a Flying Dragon, it's still plenty strong.
『If they can manufacture guns, you understand that their combat style is already completely detached from this world's standards, right?』
"Well yeah, forming ranks and charging in... is just making yourselves sitting ducks in front of guns."
『To effectively utilize guns—weapons with extreme range—do you know what's most important?』
"Grasping the enemy's position... information gathering?"
『Exactly. That's why we're also making sure to grasp the enemy's movements through dungeonification, skill-based presence perception, and mana detection.』
"...You mean there's a chance the enemy is also heavily investing in reconnaissance?"
『Precisely. And there's a good chance we're not the only ones holding back our full strength. Do you really think they've attacked us while revealing every card in their hand?』
"No way. Exposing all your hidden cards is basically suicidal."
『Right. Though I don't think an actual unit-scale air force exists over there, either.』
"Why's that?"
『If they had actual aerial combat power as an organized military unit or squadron, we would have heard reports of air attacks by now.』
"Ah, that makes sense. In other words, just like Poppuri-san, there might be individuals who can fly on their own?"
『Yeah. If cards of that level are mixed in among them, our moves might get leaked without us being able to gather information. That's why we're using the Flying Dragon Squad. And that's why I'm issuing sortie orders to you and John. That's why I chose the Flying Dragon Squad—our top-tier force that we can justify revealing to the New Continent.』
"And how exactly is the Flying Dragon Squadron supposed to be a plausible explanation? Considering the situation in the New Continent, this is basically the equivalent of a giant monster invasion, isn't it? Well, not quite Ground Zero-level, at least."
Those two, Alfin and Grad, are currently getting along fine at the Weed school.
The reason I dropped the honorifics is that I look after them often, and if I attach "-san" to their names, they look sad.
However, I am a gentleman, so I'm not thinking anything improper.
Because I'd get my head chopped off if I did.
『Right. Rather than an excuse, maybe it's better to say it's convenient?』
『Convenient?』
『Yeah. Let's see—there are roughly three convenient reasons.』
『Three whole reasons!?』
『First, reason number one: the people of the New Continent don't know whether Flying Dragons or Wyverns are higher or lower in hierarchy.』
"Well, that's certainly true-ssu."
『So we can claim they're under Amanda's command. Conveniently, she's a Dragon Knight. We can say Wai-chan is actually the leader of the Wyverns, and that she called in her subordinates because her master was facing an unprecedented crisis.』
"That would leave Amanda-san completely overwhelmed-ssu. While Wy-chan would technically be in the position of commanding Wyverns that are higher-ranked than him. His stomach is going to be destroyed from stress-ssu."
Wy-chan had been thoroughly drilled by the Flying Dragon Squadron, so his trauma regarding the chain of command was pretty serious.
Well, the Flying Dragon Squad will comply with orders without issue, and there won't be any bullying, but Wy-chan's stomach is going to hurt even more than Amanda-san's.
Anyway, I understood the first reason.
『And second, reason number two: if they aren't recognized as Dragon Knight Amanda's subordinates, then they can just go wild freely and take down Hiffy as fast as possible if they can. After that, they leave, and if an alliance is formed against them, so be it. If that happens, a war won't break out anyway, since no one knows when the flock of Flying Dragons might return.』
"...I suppose so."
That really wouldn't be a time for fighting a war among themselves.
They wouldn't know those dragons are our subordinates, and they'll never appear on the public stage again.
So the end result is a win-win, I guess.
『Finally, the third reason. We're deploying the Flying Dragon Squadron to give them combat experience. This will be their first actual battle—their first real battlefield. That's the main objective. The specifications we know ourselves are nothing more than data.』
"I see. It's true they've only done training so far. If there's a battlefield where we can deploy them, sending them out to gain experience is indeed the best option."
『Exactly. This involves scouting, and depending on the situation, potential engagement. Everything they've built up so far will be put to the test. I have no intention of using Aslin and the others as bait, but saying it's to protect them will surely boost the Flying Dragon Squad's morale, right?』
"Well, even our morale shoots up! The Flying Dragon Squad directly under Princess Aslin has incredible motivation, you know."
『So, their motivation is up, and considering overall evaluation and experience building, I deemed this the absolute best choice available right now. And, if by some off chance the enemy possesses enough strength to inflict damage on the Flying Dragon Squad...』
"Then we won't need to hold back our forces either, right? Or rather, we won't have the luxury to hold back."
『Yeah. If they possess power of that level, no country on the New Continent can handle it, and we ourselves will likely suffer severe damage in various ways. Therefore, in that case, we will assemble all deployable forces in Weed to eradicate them. If that still fails, we retreat. So, to serve as a gauge for that assessment, I need you and John to thoroughly evaluate the enemy's strength.』
"Understood-ssu!"
* * *
"And that's the end of the flashback."
When I finished, John was munching on his cucumber with an expression somewhere between sulky and exasperated.
"How do I put it... I understand the reasoning, but he really is merciless. And there's never any opening to exploit..."
I understood how he felt.
Boss's plans were as ruthless as ever.
"He really thinks through so many things, combining the situation and our own convenience..."
"That's Boss for you. He's been like that since way back-ssu."
"I guess so. But hey, you know what equipment the Flying Dragon Squad is carrying, right?"
After John said that, I looked down at the desk.
Lying right there—whether conveniently or inconveniently—was the equipment instruction sheet for the Flying Dragon Squad.
It was...
"Equipment Type Five. Reconnaissance, anti-air, anti-ground, communications, and supply. All five are included, making them fully armed."
Exactly.
As John said, it was Equipment Type Five.
It was a fully equipped Wyvern Squadron designed to deal with virtually any situation, including prolonged engagements.
That said, a single Flying Dragon doesn't carry all of it.
In a squadron—meaning a 10-dragon formation—1 dragon serves as commander, 1 carries reconnaissance equipment, 3 are equipped with modern weaponry like Flying Dragon-dedicated anti-air Vulcan cannons, 3 carry anti-ground gear like dragon-use bombs, 1 is equipped with magical radio equipment to maintain communications, and the final 1 is equipped with resupply gear to transport arms, ammunition, and rations.
"They completely abandoned using fire breathing and the like right from the start... Is it really fine? Bringing out modern weaponry..."
"If the enemy is smart enough to understand the difference in military strength and turn around in panic, negotiations will be easier afterward, right?"
"Ah... Truly relentless. And we're deploying five of those squadrons, right?"
"That's right. Plus, as an extra strike force, we've got a specialized attack team consisting of 3 anti-air, 3 anti-ground, and 3 anti-personnel equipped dragons heading out."
"Furthermore, there are 2 dragons that you and I will ride. That's a grand total of 61 dragons. What, are they planning to crush the Sacred Kingdom of Hiffy?"
"I told you. If they're capable of understanding the difference in strength, we can negotiate."
"...Right. I forgot about that. The sheer overkill made me picture us exterminating them and completely drowned out the rest of the discussion."
Yeah.
I understood that feeling very well.
But this wasn't an opponent we could afford to take lightly, either-ssu.
Boss also said there was a high possibility that the enemy was from the same world as him.
If we were unlucky, they might be an even sharper thinker than Boss despite having inferior weapons, so we couldn't let our guard down.
That was probably why he had ordered us to settle things in one decisive blow.
As we were talking, we finally heard the words we had been waiting for from Britt.
『Captain. Preparations for departure are complete.』
"Understood. We're heading over now."
"All right. Let's go."
And so we headed to the makeshift deployment gate constructed beneath a forest near August.
There, the Flying Dragons were lined up by unit, waiting.
Their intelligence is exceptionally high. They can understand human speech normally and converse clearly. And above all, they treasure Princess Aslin and the others deeply.
Every one of them has been briefed on this operation, and their faces are brimming with motivation.
"Everyone. I assume you already understand the situation. Time is of the essence. However, rushing and making a mistake could put Princess Aslin in danger. So please remain calm and listen to the mission briefing one more time."
Saying so, John stepped forward and conveyed the operation summary using a monitor.
The Flying Dragons listened intently as well.
When that presentation concluded, the biggest event before actual deployment began.
"We are about to begin deployment. But first, I will announce each unit's call sign."
Indeed, the names used during combat.
Using call signs would conceal individual identities from the enemy and help prevent things like assassination.
Hey, don't say 'as if they could be assassinated.' There's no telling when or where someone capable of taking down a Flying Dragon might appear.
"First, the callsign for the strike force will be Yellow Squadron."
'Murmur... Murmur...'
The Wyverns reacted with surprise to the call sign.
Well, the source material comes from a certain game, but since the General referred to it as the great ruler of the skies, it is recognized by the Flying Dragon Squad as a sacred name.
"Next, the 1st will be Garm Squadron, the 2nd Wardog Squadron, the 3rd Scarface Squadron, the 4th Garuda Squadron, and the 5th Gryphus Squadron. I expect each of you to execute your duties calmly and with absolute certainty, worthy of your callsigns!!"
GYAAAS--!!
The Flying Dragons' roars echoed through the air.
Their motivation hit maximum level right then and there.
"And my callsign is Mobius. Well, I'll do my best to live up to the name."
...Though I feel like the name is way too big for me to live up to.
Or rather, I don't feel like anyone can beat that monster's combat evaluation.
Now, let's leave the punchline to John.
"Lastly, John's callsign will be Omega."
"HEY, HOLD ON!!"
Omega—that is the name of a legendary bail-outer.
Bailout refers to ejecting and disengaging using the emergency escape device installed in fighter jets.
Well, it technically means getting shot down, but this isn't an insult.
It's the callsign of a true man who always comes back alive.
...Seriously, it is!
"All dragons, launch!!"
"JUST WAIT A MINUTEEEEEEEEE!!"
Alright, time to get to work.
...It goes without saying that the Flying Dragons were looking at John with deeply sympathetic eyes.
