How I Somehow Ended Up Getting a Plane
At my careful question, Glass brightened and nodded.
"Aircraft? Bien sûr—of course! That was my job when I was in the air force, so I can still do it. Provided the model is compatible, that is."
"French aircraft. The Rafale MK 4, wasn't it? Unfortunately, what we can operate is the F-15K Mk3—but it shouldn't be a major problem. We've confirmed that the control terminals here aren't all that different from the French ones."
Ever since unmanned aircraft piloted by hunters had been fully introduced against the common enemy that was the Abyss, arms-producing nations had moved to standardize control terminals wherever possible. Unlike when they had been competitors, the present situation demanded maximum cooperation against the endless tide of monsters pouring forth.
Plenty of differences still remained, of course—but by sheer luck, the unmanned aircraft control terminals used by the French military and those currently in service with the Korean forces had been built along fairly similar lines, so piloting itself posed no serious difficulty.
And on that point… if Glass, who had served in the French air force, was available, flying the aircraft currently in military use was hardly impossible.
"Even so—does that mean unmanned aircraft can be issued that easily? These aren't ammunition. Considering the price of each unit, the procedures alone would be anything but simple…"
"Well… somehow, it became possible."
"Pardon…?"
Glass's face filled with questions and surprise. At that, Jinhyun began replaying the still-baffling exchange from moments earlier in his mind.
Not long after we arrived at the temporary headquarters.
I was watching the battlefield spread out below when a voice called from behind me.
"Hey—you there."
I turned slowly toward the sound.
A woman in military uniform stood before me. Tall, with brown-tinged hair and eyes, she was beautiful—but her expression was decidedly severe. From the cut of her uniform I could tell she was an adjutant as well, and that she belonged not to the army but to the air force.
"I don't recognize your face. Judging by the clothes, you're no soldier. Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
"My name is Lee Jinhyun. As an adjutant leading Black Hunters, I was surveying the battlefield situation."
"A Black Hunter adjutant? I see… Around this time, they would start arriving one by one, wouldn't they."
She accepted my answer with surprising ease. It seemed she had already been briefed to some degree, and so grasped the situation without particular suspicion.
"Sorry for the unintended interruption. My name is Song Dana. I serve as adjutant of the 3rd Hunter Guild, and I also oversee this place."
"The 3rd Hunter Guild… I've heard of its reputation. It's an honor to meet the hero of the Wonsan Battle in person."
I offered a polite greeting to the woman who had softened a little from her earlier tone and apologized. Though this was our first meeting, I had heard of the 3rd Hunter Guild several times before my discharge.
Composed of air force hunters, it had possessed considerable strength—yet its performance had long failed to match that power. After a new adjutant came on board, however, the entire atmosphere of the guild had changed, and within the military she was often cited as a success story of elite adjutants.
And the decisive moment that carried the 3rd Guild's fame from the air force into the army as well had been the Wonsan Battle. Their performance there had been extraordinary, I was told—and though it never became widely known to the public, talk of it had circulated inside the military for quite some time.
Recognizing that the formidable adjutant I had only ever heard of secondhand now stood before me, I readily showed my respect. Song Dana looked mildly surprised.
"I'm glad you recognize it… though honestly, it's a little unexpected. I never thought any Black Hunter adjutant would know that."
"Well—this may sound odd, but I was a soldier myself until not long ago, so I'd heard the stories."
"A soldier? Then were you already working as a hunter guild adjutant at the time?"
Curiosity colored her voice. I had nothing to hide, so I answered frankly.
"Yes. It's been about seven months now… Originally I served as adjutant of the 28th Guild, which has since been disbanded. I'm currently with the Black Hunter company Dreamouth, but…"
"!.."
Song Dana's expression flickered with surprise. A bitter feeling rose in me automatically.
Well… of course she'd be startled. She's just heard that I was the adjutant of a hunter guild whose members were almost entirely wiped out…
Aware that I had unintentionally made the atmosphere awkward, I managed a wry smile. Song Dana continued in a slightly flustered tone.
"I… I see. So you were the adjutant of the 28th Guild. I've heard about that place. You must have gone through a great deal. My condolences."
"Yes… It was something that must never happen again."
I answered her hurried words of comfort with a measure of resolve. Exactly as she said—it was a tragedy that must never be repeated, one I had to prevent with my own hands. Holding that truth close, I fell silent again and took in the battlefield once more.
Fortunately, the Abyss offensive that had sortied earlier had lost some of its edge—yet the enemy still swarmed in sickening numbers. In response, air force hunters began moving their bombers again to finish the job for good.
—Whoooosh!!!
With a roaring cry, the bombers cut across the sky. Fewer than half of them would return—but they would still inflict more than enough damage on the enemy.
Steel birds rising even knowing they would fall.
I watched them fly toward the enemy lines without looking away.
Then a voice came from beside me.
"You've been staring without blinking for a while. Do you have an interest in aircraft?"
"Pardon? Ah—yes. Honestly, I do. There are a great many ways they can be used strategically, and nothing beats aerial reconnaissance for gathering intelligence."
"Exactly. Air superiority is the core of warfare. The reason we've been able to hold the upper hand in this fierce war against the Abysses is largely thanks to that."
Pride as an air force officer rang in Song Dana's words. I nodded slowly in agreement.
"Yes, precisely. The effectiveness of air power in war is enormous. I've taken quite an interest in that area myself."
"Oh? Then does Adjutant Lee Jinhyun already operate air assets?"
As the conversation shifted into her field of expertise, Song Dana's manner grew a touch animated. I answered with genuine regret.
"No. Given our present circumstances, we don't have any aircraft we can operate yet—we're just salivating over the idea. But… when the chance comes, I intend to try introducing them. Considering the company's finances, there will be more than a few mountains to climb."
"Hmm… Well, as a private enterprise, there are limits…"
She looked rather disappointed. A moment later, something interesting seemed to occur to her, and she asked carefully,
"In that case… if I were to give you a chance for a trial operation, would you take it?"
"…Pardon?"
The words were so unexpected that for a moment I could only stare blankly at Adjutant Song Dana and her extraordinary proposal.