Chapter 319: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield[R-18] (37)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 319: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield[R-18] (37)
I just smiled and charged toward the gray unit again. It followed the same pattern, spinning around while laying down suppressive fire, as the navy unit moved in from the side to time its attack.
I twisted my waist to let a beam fly past me, then altered my trajectory and slowed down. Then, I instantly changed direction.
Not toward the gray unit, but a sharp turn toward the navy one. The navy unit’s movements wavered slightly.
In that instant, its shoulder armor slid open.
Chk—
The built-in missile pods deployed, and the beam weapon in its hand took aim at me. Immediately, a barrage of missiles poured out. I intercepted them with a screen of fire and pulled back slightly.
“A bit slow… but its response is solid. This isn’t easy.”
To be honest, my close-combat-focused loadout was a disadvantage.
I made a mental note to bring a more balanced set of weapons next time. But that thought was fleeting.
[This is Armeo. Lieutenant Jin Seo-yun, return to the ship immediately.]
The comms channel opened, and a familiar voice came through.
“Already?”
There was a pause on the line, followed by a cold, firm reply.
[Surely… you’re not thinking of disobeying orders again, are you?]
I let out a smirk.
“What do you think, Major?”
A deep sigh flowed through the comms.
[Haa… This isn’t the training camp, Lieutenant. So please, try to use that thing called a ‘brain’ before you act.]
I chuckled.
“I was just kidding.”
I lightly took my hands off the Requiem’s controls and turned the unit around.
“Returning to base.”
The channel remained open, but there was only silence from the other end.
I switched the booster output and stabilized the Requiem’s posture.
The navy and gray units in front of me were still on high alert.
Both were reacting sensitively to my every move.
“See you next time, friends.”
I spun my greatsword once and locked it into the slot on my back. Then I changed the direction of my boosters. Following the return route displayed on the HUD, I turned my unit toward the Armeo.
*
The moment I landed in the ship’s hangar, the area grew noisy. As soon as I stepped out of my unit, all eyes were on me.
“Lieutenant! Your skills are insane!”
“Hey, is the Lieutenant your buddy? Show some respect!”
“I watched the whole thing live. It was… completely nuts! Lieutenant! I think I’m gonna be a fan from now on.”
A soldier I’d never seen before shouted, waving his hands. A few mechanics in the back were even clapping.
I gave them a nod of acknowledgment and walked past. Just then, the members of the mobile squadron, who had already arrived, approached me.
Lionel Vasquez was the first to speak.
“Good work. Seeing it in person, I get it now… You’re completely insane.”
I gave a short nod.
“Honey~ Thanks for the help earlier.”
Carla approached with a sly grin and pressed herself right up against my side. Then she began to rub her chest against my arm as if leaning on it. I could feel its soft texture through my pilot suit, the way her breasts spread out and enveloped my bicep.
‘Oh, these are natural C-cups.’
Her cleavage, pressed by the suit, was even more pronounced.
Maybe it was because of the coated material, but I could feel the heat of her skin right through it.
This was a blatant come-on. Looked like I’d have to call her over and fuck her sometime.
“Adele! I told you not to move your body like that!”
“But it’s so hard.”
“You have to go like this~ Swoosh, swoosh! You have to strike like this!”
As Hina demonstrated with a wave of her hands, Adele tilted her head, looking perplexed.
“Um… Swoosh, swish? Like this?”
“No! The angle of your arm is all wrong!”
At the mansion where Adele was staying.
In the middle of the courtyard, Hina was training Su-hyeon and Adele in martial arts.
It was a request Jin Seo-yun had made before he left.
—‘Hina. While I’m gone, teach them the Green Swallow Heart Method. I know you just started learning it yourself, but use the videos I left and help them learn as much as they can.’
Hina had nodded seriously and had been taking the time to instruct them whenever she could, just like now.
Of course, being the teacher was much harder than she’d expected.
Explaining the concepts of ‘qi’ and ‘heart methods’ in a world that didn’t even have a concept of martial arts was no simple task.
Adele, in particular, was struggling. Her basic physical fitness wasn’t bad, but she had no sense of how to control her body.
Su-hyeon, on the other hand, was different.
You only had to show her something once. Her movements were clean, and she was quickly mastering the circulation of qi.
‘…Is she going to get stronger than me first?’
“Hina? What’s wrong?”
“Huh? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking how amazing Su-hyeon is.”
“She’s definitely good at this kind of thing,” Adele said with a smile, wiping sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.
Su-hyeon bowed her head slightly.
“Not at all. I’m only improving so quickly because Hina is such a good teacher.”
“…Hmph. It feels a little weird being the only one falling behind.”
Adele kicked at the ground with the tip of her foot.
“It’s alright. I’ll get strong in your place, my lady… and I’ll protect you.”
“Hehe, thank you.”
After that brief exchange, the three of them refocused on their training.
Su-hyeon repeated the movements, circulating her qi, while Adele tried her best to correct her posture according to Hina’s instructions.
It was then that someone strode into the garden from outside.
“Lady Adele.”
Adele stopped her training and turned her head.
“Yes? What is it?”
It was an employee from the Licencia Group. Dressed in a suit, her expression was stiffer than usual.
“I think… you need to see this.”
The female employee carefully handed Adele the tablet she was holding. The moment Adele saw the screen, her expression turned ice-cold.
“…Things are getting interesting.”
“What are your orders?”
“Get everything ready at once. And this time… contact her beforehand.”
“Understood. I’ll make the arrangements immediately.”
The employee bowed her head and quickly departed. The atmosphere, which had been calm, now felt strangely frozen.
Just then, Hina cautiously approached from behind.
“What’s going on?”
Adele quietly set down the tablet she was holding. Her expression was cold, completely different from before.
“An anomaly has been detected… at a key base.”
“A base?”
Hina’s eyes widened. Adele took a short breath and turned her head.
“You might not know this, Hina, but the Licencia Group’s core base isn’t on Earth. It’s in space.”
“Really…?”
“We call it Calliope Station. It might be called a station, but it’s about the size of a small city.”
“…”
“In effect, the entire place is Licencia’s exclusive territory. Not even the military or the administration can touch it. Even the Federation can’t approach without permission.”
Hina blinked, taking in Adele’s words.
“So… something happened there?”
Adele glanced down at the screen one more time.
“We’re still investigating the details… but the internal security protocols were forcibly disabled.”
“…Isn’t that pretty dangerous?”
Adele nodded silently.
“It is. That place isn’t just some facility. It’s the heart of Licencia, where all our technology, assets, and information are gathered.”
With that, Adele stood up.
“So, Hina. You and Su-hyeon get ready. I’ve already given the orders for boarding procedures.”
“Are we leaving right away?”
“Yes. I have a bad feeling about this.”
Hina nodded quietly.
“Okay. I’ll get ready right now.”
*
The 3rd Fleet’s mothership.
Inside the Artemis Bridge, the core of the fleet and the center of strategic command, pilots in neatly arranged uniforms stood in formation.
At the center of them was the 7th Mobile Squadron, and standing quietly among them was me.
On the platform up front stood a man in a dress uniform.
Admiral Eisenhardt. The supreme commander of the 3rd Fleet. The man who held this entire front in his hands.
I looked at him and thought.
‘This is already a pain in the ass.’
My expression was that of a proper soldier, but inwardly, I was bored to death.
‘A promotion ceremony? If I have time to stand around in a place like this, I’d be better off tuning the Requiem, or if not that, calling over a nearby woman to pump my hips a few more times. That would be a hundred times better.’
The tight-fitting uniform felt like it was choking me, and the gazes gathering on me were annoying.
Next to me, Lionel was snickering. Carla saw my expression and laughed, then leaned her shoulder against mine.
Just then, a voice echoed from the platform.
“Lieutenant Jin Seo-yun. Step forward.”
My name was called.
I walked forward slowly. Neatly. By the book.
When you’re pretending to be a soldier, you might as well do it right.
I stepped onto the platform, and my eyes met the admiral’s.
“Your performance in the last operation was impressive.”
I saluted without a word. The rank insignia in his hand came into view. A lieutenant’s insignia, with one more silver diamond.
“For your engagement with enemy mobile forces, and for neutralizing the enemy’s position without any loss of allied forces. Taking all of this into consideration—”
He placed the insignia on my shoulder.
“—I hereby promote Jin Seo-yun to the rank of Lieutenant.”
Click.
With the sound of it snapping into place, applause erupted from all around.
Lionel even whistled, while Carla waved openly, saying, “Congratulations, honey~”
I just gave a slight nod. Immediately after, Eisenhardt raised his hand. The noise in the hall died down in an instant.
He spoke quietly.
“This operation is not over yet.”
His voice was quiet but powerful. Admiral Eisenhardt continued speaking in a low tone from the platform.
Everyone in the hall—officers, soldiers, and pilots—held their breath.
“We have dealt a blow to the colonial army’s main forces. And now, the final stage remains.”
Nemesis.
The moment that name was spoken, the air grew a little heavier.
“We will retake Nemesis. And with it, we will avenge the 6th Fleet.”
Some of the officers nodded in agreement.
Eisenhardt continued.
“The operation will commence in 72 hours. And the 7th Mobile Squadron… will be the vanguard.”
At that moment, I heard a small gasp next to me.
It was Carla.
“Crazy… The vanguard?”
I turned my head to look at her.
“What, you scared?”
Carla’s expression turned serious at my words.
“Of course, honey… If we’re the vanguard, we have the highest chance of dying first.”
I smirked, the corner of my mouth lifting.
“Well, if you come to my room tonight, I’ll make sure you don’t die.”
At that, Carla’s eyes narrowed slightly. She curled her lips into a playful smile and replied.
“Oh my, now that’s a tempting offer.”
“So, deal?”
“Hmm… Well, alright. Nothing’s more important than my life, after all.”
She said with a wink.
“I’m counting on you, you know. You really have to protect me, okay?”
I gave a slight nod.
“Yeah, don’t worry about it.”
“Hmm… I’ll be looking forward to it. Tonight.”
She said, pressing herself even closer to my side.