2-17: The Day of the Operation
"Hey, over here, Yoyo!"
"Oh, if it isn't Firo."
The day I was tagging along on the Warrior Squad's mission, I was waiting fully prepared at the southern Warrior Squad garrison when a familiar voice rang out from a group entering behind me. It was Firo, the "Mage" we'd briefly teamed up with after that subhuman fight—well, mostly just shot the breeze with.
The spot was a plaza-like area right near the entrance, packed full of armed folks who looked like operation participants.
"See? Told ya we'd run into each other again."
"Yeah, just like you said, Firo."
"And your little attendant there... nice. Not all bulky like the Warrior Squad girls—kinda soothing on the eyes~... Guh!"
Firo crumpled in agony after getting smacked hard from behind. Dude, say that where the female squad members can't hear you. What an idiot.
Firo was traveling with a group of about ten. Most looked familiar, so I figured they were the squad members from before.
"No captain today?"
"Nah, Captain's chatting with the bigwigs. Guy's important like that."
"Come to think of it, he's nobility, right? Figures."
"Yup. Huh? Didn't I mention?"
"Nah. Warrior Squad's got a lotta nobles, huh."
"Well, duh. Big shots usually have noble titles. And plenty of ex-nobles or noble-born end up as regular grunts."
"Really?"
"Like me."
"...Huh?"
I couldn't help but stare at Firo's face. Same old spiky hair, same dumb look. This guy's nobility? There went my image of what a noble should be.
"Ex-noble. Minor branch of some weak-ass lesser house. But c'mon, that face hurts."
He pretended to wipe away tears. Annoying.
"...Nobles come in all flavors, huh."
"Hey, that sounded way too real. Anyway, I was born to titled parents but grew up basically commoner."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll forget Firo's a noble. Already did."
"I said it's just my background—I'm not noble anymore... Whatever. Captain's still got his title, though. Branch family, but he's in line to be head. Pretty impressive, right?"
"Uh, something like Urubuneru, right? He's set to be head of that house?"
"Urubuneru. And yeah, the directional prefix means branch line."
"...Gotcha."
I had no clue what he was talking about. It's like my brain's yelling 'I don't get it!' but I'll just report the facts: 'Firo's saying smart stuff'?!
"You look lost. Whatever, family talk's boring anyway."
"Yeah."
I'll get Sarsa to fill me in later. If even she doesn't know, it's not common knowledge—ignore it.
"Oh, one thing. Urubuneru's the local lord around here, right?"
"Nah. Inside the walls, lords handed over control ages ago—direct royal rule now. Just governors scattered around. House Urubuneru holds a territory southeast from the Teba Region. Legit independent nobles, royally recognized."
"For real? Then why join the Warrior Squad instead of his own territory's?"
"Captain? Yeah, that'd be the normal path for a branch heir. But inside these walls? Special case. Every wannabe warrior from everywhere flocks here. Think about it—civilians evacuated except a few bases, running a 'local' Warrior Squad normally? No way it'd hold. People wouldn't come."
"Haha, got it. Even 'local' squads gotta recruit outsiders 'cause there's no locals left."
"Recruit? More like they show up on their own. Say you served in Teba Squad, and later local squads or merc groups come knocking. Lots use it as a stepping stone. Squad side uses that too—win-win, not bad."
"You from out of town too, Firo?"
"Born there, yeah. But from a minor noble house that traces back to a little lord here in Teba. That's why our clan's warriors often end up here."
"Huh."
Firo's got backstory too. Chatting seriously like this, I realize he's not dumb—just seems dumb. His vibe's so hopelessly light, he comes off like an airhead. Guess that's his thing.
"Still got time till kickoff. Lemme introduce you to the squad. They might remember your face, but names? Nah."
Firo glanced back at the chatting squad members right behind us. Names... can I even remember them? Probably not.
"Names, yeah... sorta."
"This squad's twenty heads, but we got four tight-knit groups for watch shifts and such. Mine mostly guards the mage on the move. Memorize these, you're good. Probably."
"If that's how it is."
Firo shoved into his group's circle, cutting in to grab attention. Pushy.
"Yo, listen up. Mage support crew, meet the new guy!"
"Who're you calling support, spike-head?"
"Don't get cocky, low-rank mage."
"Shut it!"
Harsh jeers from his buddies. Firo okay? Getting bullied?
"Alright, alright, settle down. Y'all probably know him—this is Yoyo, the 'Mage'... or was it 'Magic Swordsman'? Get along."
"Yoyo, huh. Thanks for the other day. Haven't introduced myself—I'm Torabutosu. We're the ones usually stuck babysitting Firo here. You'll team with us plenty. Nice to meetcha."
A musclebound guy, mid-20s to 30s-looking, greeted me politely.
"Yeah, likewise."
"I'm Tsuburaka, archer. Age is a secret."
Second was a woman in her prime. Older than Sarsa, but hard to pin down. Foreign ages are tricky. Sarsa's got foreign features too, but her sharp face makes her approachable, easier to gauge.
Her long black hair was braided and draped to the side. Unlike the others, no sleeveless metal armor—that Warrior Squad staple I call half-plate. Brown leather armor, probably. Kinda relatable.
"My attendant Sarsa's an archer too. Would appreciate any tips if you're up for it."
"If I got time."
"Thanks."
Might be lip service, but even one trick during camp would be gold.
"I'm Senka, archer. Use a bigger bow than most, so not much I can teach."
Third was textbook soldier: half-plate, gauntlets, skirt-like leg armor, greaves. Plain guy. Except... huge. Nearly two meters? Greatsword would suit him better.
"That so."
"Yeah."
"..."
"..."
Awkward silence. Not much of a talker, huh. Next guy picked up the slack.
"Guess I'm last. Kerusumeme, sword and shield. Nice to meet ya."
"You too."
Kerusumeme was short, probably the youngest here. One-hand sword, small shield—gladiator vibe. Reddish-brown hair, kinda Earth-like but not quite. Plain face, vaguely Asian.
These four plus Firo made one group. They stuck together for escorts, watches, etc. They'd mix for weapon balance, but always half-this-group, half-that, so same faces often.
"You'll slot into our group basically, Yoyo. Three days min—let's get along~"
"Sure. Not great with people, but nice working with ya. That's my attendant Sarsa behind me. Serious type, decent cook. Sticks with me mostly, but long-range skills make her good for watch."
"Huh, long-range? Rare skill."
Tsuburaka, the other archer, piped up. "Archer" just meant their weapon—not necessarily the job.
"Rare?"
"Pretty rare. Shows up low-level sometimes. Maybe scout job aptitude."
"Hmm, makes sense."
Long-range screams scouting.
"Her aim's solid even on me—moving target. Just lacks punch, so charged shots would be ideal. Hasn't unlocked yet."
"No charged shots? Tricky... No need to answer, but she low-level?"
"Yeah. Job-changed later in life, so not super high."
"Gotcha. Young, so teens... maybe single digits. Power's low then, makes sense."
"No prob if you don't wanna say, but you a straight Archer, Tsuburaka?"
"Hehe, secret. But it's a famous variant."
"Oh...?"
Sarsa knew Bow Warrior and Sniper. Feels like Bow Warrior. Gut feeling. Nah, not sniper-ish.
I tried fishing, got zilch. Oh well—Sarsa can pry during the op. I'm no good at that stuff. Not a comm barrier, I swear.
"Show me her bow later. Before we head out, I'll check her form, teach basics."
"Awesome, thanks."
Probably sizing up new blood, but hey, grateful. Want Sarsa soaking up skills like this. Her growth rate's already solid.
"Oh? Captain's heading this way."
Firo yelled, pointing to the front of the plaza. Speak up why don't ya. Guess the bigwig chat's done. I muttered that internally when...
"Looks like everyone's here—time for the briefing!"
The pompous guy from before—Escape or something—boomed from the center. The buzzing crowd went dead silent, tension thick. Trained army, impressive.
"This is Mid-Unit 4—nearly 100 mobilized for a major op. No room for failure. You've briefed internally, but inter-unit coordination's key. We'll base from Cross Point, stay linked. Everyone here grasps the outline—give your all for success."
Then came a long rundown of movements and flow. Tons of squad slang and jargon I didn't get. Nodded seriously, but nada stuck. Wind in one ear, out the other. Or horse ears and sutras? Whatever.
Got that the Warrior Squad's busting ass.
Support's solid too—don't go rogue. If numbers overwhelm or boss shows, no heroics—call for backup. Small support teams scattered, can rally 'em. Reinforcements from rear, knight unit on tap.
"Knight" here meant mounted troops, not feudal elite. Cavalry.
This world's got all sorts "horses"—curious what they ride. No sign in the plaza. That komodo-cart-puller from before? More dragon rider than knight.
Job's Knight for mounted combat—hence "Knight Unit." There's non-combat Rider too. Confusing, but that one's pure mount handling. Knights are probably one or the other.
I practiced riding once, got neither. No talent there.
"Op starts at noon bell. Prep up! Dismissed!!"
Es... Em? wrapped the speech, briefing over. Plaza noisy again. I followed Firo out.
Out the gate, to roadside grass where his group gathered. Waiting there, a silver-haired hunk appeared, sunlight sparkling. Captain, no doubt.
"Meet again, Lord Yoyo. I'll lead this unit: Senior Warrior Armesian He Urubuneru."
"Yes. Looking forward to working with you, Captain Armesian."
Captain clasped hand to chest—I mirrored it.
"No need to go full Warrior Squad on it, Lord Yoyo."
He grinned coolly. Suited him perfectly. Damn, that's the real ikemen buff...
"Only Firo for mage in our unit. Counting on your magic, Lord Yoyo."
"You got it."
"Listen up. This op's recon and subjugation across wide area. Formation's non-standard. Stay sharp."
Armesian's unit: 22 with us. 20 squad pure.
Weapons: 14 vanguard. 2 greatswords, 4 spears. 3 big shields. Rest swords—or subs, anyway.
Rear: 6. 5 bows, 1 mage (Firo). Fewer than expected. Full surround watch needed, makes sense.
Fantasy types too: greatsword guy's lizardman-ish, swordsman's wolfman on hind legs.
Shields/spears form line, bows/mages inside. Light-armored scouts rotate recon. Thought Captain central command—nah, he's frontline charger. That safe?
"Confirm formation and coordination, then rest till start. Formation first!"
I'm central, guarded, stationary gun. No switches needed. Op'll turn me into fixed turret. Low risk, fine. Just feels off from my usual rush-in style.
"Captain, Yoyo's attendant Sarsa has Long-Range skill."
Drifting through jargon, topic hit us. What?
"Hm, right. Can she handle central watch?"
"...Master."
"Uh, no scout experience, but if it's just distant sight, sure."
Stumbling a bit, Captain smiled reassuringly. Ikemen smile...!
"No worries—scouts handle flanks. From central with Firo's guards, just scan around. Good eyesight saves asses surprisingly often."
"Got it. Mana-limited, but I'll have her watch far as possible."
"Good."
Back to squad details.
Bits pieced: thorough area sweep, so amp recon.
Normally forward-focused scouts, but slower pace—non-Firo groups cover three sides. Ours off the hook?
"Recon intel to Senka's team—handle it."
"Understood."
Senka nodded deep. Brains guy?
"Senka's ex-hunter, monster slayer. Central for this."
Tsuburaka explained. You know him?!
"I'll assist with Kerusumeme. On watch, mage."
"...Yeah."
Not sure how serious, but I got Vigilance too. Fits early warning central. They don't know.
Oh yeah.
"Forgot—we got one more... one? Sarsa, let out Don?"
"Yes, but he's sleeping."
Sarsa set down her pack, pulled out the fuzzy ball. Don blinked sleepily, half-awake.
"Wise beast...?"
Captain murmured. Guardian beast? Vendor mentioned variants.
"Don of the Kelmi tribe. Low combat, but nights he's on watch."
"Cute."
"So fluffy."
Kerusumeme kid and Tsuburaka beamed. Woman from other group sparkled too. Don's a star.
"Squads don't register guardians?"
"We do. Can outdo humans right. But Kelmi? Rare."
"No kidding."
Captain eyed interestedly, but ladies/kid hogged him. Wanna pet? Heh heh.
"Nocturnal, super smart, right?"
"All guardians smart-ish?"
"Degrees matter. Human-child level comprehension's rare. Kelmi top large wise beasts in smarts."
"Huh."
Yeah, he gets my intent, nuances and all. Smart cookie. Not just fluff.
"But combat-weak, lazy daytime sleepers—not squad material. Even spot foes, often don't warn."
"...Really? Don's woken me nights spotting danger."
"Impressive guardian you got."
Captain finally petted, cheek loose. Don dozed off again.
"...Too many wake-ups mess nights. Back in bag. Night watch assist?"
"Aye. Can't full-watch him, but beats night boredom."
"Yes."
Next, coordination check. My real test?
If just turret, no coord needed. We'll see.