The Karmanu Salvation Campaign - Day Two
Two days later. At the Demius train station, freight trains loaded with a considerable number of Aindiums and supplies crossed paths with passenger trains carrying refugees, like a changing of the guard. On the platform where I had stopped to greet Limpid, I spotted some familiar faces. Unlike Rendel, who had transported White Fang separately in a freight car, these were academy cadets who had arrived through the official recruitment process.
“Luna. What brings you here?”
“Hello, senior.”
Just as in the original story, Carson had come too. After exchanging greetings with Carson, Mikhail appeared from behind and gave me a nod. So he came as well. Counting the number of cadets who looked like pilots, it seemed there were quite a few volunteers after all. I could also spot a scattering of operators and mechanics.
Later, I learned that a significant number of students besides our CT Club had volunteered. However, not all of them had been granted permission to cross into Karmanu. According to Line’s side, only pilots with truly exceptional skills capable of holding their own against regular troops, or those operating machines with special functions, were allowed to cross the border.
The high-ranking military officials who had planned the operation didn’t seem particularly eager to venture all the way into Karmanu. They appeared to view us merely as support units meant to expand the defensive perimeter. Rendel and I had also been assigned to support defense and interception in a specific sector. Thanks to arriving early, we were able to secure a good position. In other words, the easiest place to cross the border.
Even though we were still cadets and not official soldiers, the fact that this was considered a military operation led to a formal departure ceremony. The officer who had briefed us on the operation beforehand shook hands with each cadet one by one, wishing them good fortune. When it was my turn, after shaking my hand, he glanced at Limpid behind me.
“A Nimust-class? Does it have any unique abilities?”
“Yes. But it’s a little difficult to explain them here.”
“Hmm. That’s often the case with Nimust-class units. Well, if one really wants to find out… Huh? Level One classified?”
The officer, who had been looking at his terminal, stared back and forth between me and Limpid in surprise. I offered a stiff smile and murmured quietly.
“There may be citizens under attack even at this very moment. I’d like to deploy as soon as possible, so please continue with the ceremony.”
“Ah… understood. Good luck.”
The officer kept glancing in my direction even as he moved on to Rendel. Is Limpid really that concerning to him?
“Please proceed quickly.”
Rendel, clearly eager to reach the battlefield, urged the officer along. His voice sounded slightly angry—typical of Rendel and his immense pride in his homeland. He wanted to climb into White Fang and protect people as soon as possible.
“Ah, right.”
With a somewhat awkward expression, the officer finished the formal procedures. The departure ceremony concluded with a speech from some high-ranking officer who had arrived late, apparently a corps commander.
“Luna. Looks like the CT Club ended up in the same unit after all.”
“That’s how it was arranged.”
It was partly thanks to the influence of the headmaster, who was renowned within Alitus as a master of Aindium tactics. I hadn’t told the other students, but we had been granted permission to enter Karmanu territory. After all, we were not part of the official Alitus military but a volunteer force that had gathered on our own to maintain regional peace. That made the earlier departure ceremony rather pointless. I just hoped no one would later accuse us of interfering in Karmanu’s internal affairs.
“So from today until the start of the new semester, we just patrol our assigned sector?”
“Yes. Basically.”
There was no need to take Carson and Mikhail deep into Karmanu. I planned to have them defend an area relatively far from the border. Since it was a residential district, it suited their original roles anyway.
After riding an Aindium transport truck from Demius for about twenty minutes, we arrived at a certain village.
“This is…”
The expressions of the cadets with us darkened. Destroyed buildings. Smoke rising here and there. Bloodstains faintly visible on the shattered roads. I had heard that an evacuation order had been issued, yet screams and cries still echoed from various places—apparently some residents remained. The civilian casualties were worse than expected.
Even I, who wasn’t even from this world, frowned at the sight. I could only imagine how it must feel for those born and raised in this country, aspiring to become soldiers. As expected, anger and the resulting surge of determination rippled through the cadets. Even Carson, the cool-headed commander type, was grinding his teeth, and Mikhail from the Bordergrave family showed a similar reaction. And Rendel…
Thud.
He was venting his frustration by stomping on the truck bed. Doesn’t that hurt his hand? He’s going to bite his lip again at this rate. I suppose I should step in.
“Luna?”
I was the first to jump down from the truck and head toward the cargo compartment where Limpid was stored.
“Are you just going to stand there watching? We don’t know when the enemy might strike.”
I gestured to the cadets who had come with us.
“Everyone, to your positions.”
“To your positions!”
The cadets answered reflexively and scrambled down from the truck, rushing to their own Aindiums.
“Senior Carson, I’ll leave command to you.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if you took command instead of me, Luna?”
“I’m still far from ready. All I can do is tell people what needs to be done.”
“That’s the core of command. You’d do well at it.”
Carson gave my shoulder a light pat before climbing into his machine, the Hussar. I stood there for a moment, touched by the gesture, then boarded the Limpid Fairy. Immediately, Rendel’s transmission came through.
「Luna.」
“Yes.”
「Is Carson bothering you?」
“Pardon?”
「It looked like he hit you.」
“No, not at all. It was just encouragement.”
「…Really?」
Rendel’s voice was thick with suspicion. Why are you suspecting Carson of all people?
The bulletin board gave me some unexpectedly useful information for once. So I was the cause? I guess I won’t be able to joke around with anyone in front of Rendel anymore.
“In that case, I’ll patrol near the border with Senior Rendel to check for infiltrating enemies.”
「Haha. Sorry. I’ll leave it to you.」
After giving Carson a rough explanation and asking for his understanding, I had him guard the town. Originally, Rendel would have met the enemies there, and the scene from the last episode of the animation I remembered would have played out. As a fan, part of me wanted to see that exact moment recreated, but right now we needed to take things one step further.
The Aindium that rampaged through Karmanu, carrying corpses and moving on its own. Should I call them zombie Aindiums? If we could block those zombie Aindiums from infiltrating Alitus at the border and then pursue them, our goal would be to naturally push all the way into Karmanu and link up with Line.
In this area with poor radar coverage, even detecting the location of invading enemy Aindiums was difficult. That was why, in the original animation, the protagonist Rendel had no choice but to counterattack from within the village. But now, I had Limpid with me.
“Senior, I’ll fly up and monitor the border. If I spot any enemies, I’ll signal you, so please hold them off well.”
「Got it.」
“Then, Limpid Fairy, launching.”
At Unit One’s shout, Limpid’s flight module began operating, fueled by injected propellant and magic power from the engine. The high-performance masterpiece, the Limpid Fairy—covered in Ellydium throughout—reached high altitude in an instant and deployed its optical camouflage membrane. It would have been too conspicuous in broad daylight. Fortunately, the membrane had been greatly improved and could now be sustained for quite a long time as long as weapons weren’t used.
The wait that followed seemed endless. Occasional sounds came through the open general comm channel, but even those fell silent after an hour, leaving behind a horribly oppressive quiet. I felt like I should say something. If they aired a scene like this in the animation, it would be nothing but a broadcasting accident, wouldn’t it? Ugh, this won’t do. I had originally planned to speak after taking down at least one enemy Aindium, but the heavy atmosphere pushed me to say something anyway.
I opened a private channel with Rendel and spoke.
“By the way, Senior. Do you know who the enemy is?”
「Aren’t they the ones fighting over the Karmanu throne? Some of them broke away and dared to invade our Alitus territory.」
“That’s true, but there are a few points that need clarification.”
「Like what?」
“Do you know who currently holds the first position in the Karmanu line of succession?”
「Not really. Not much is known about the Karmanu royal family.」
“She is the eldest daughter of the previous king—‘Line Edelstia.’”
「…Line?」
“Yes. She’s the very same Line you competed against last year, Senior.”
Rendel fell silent, apparently shocked. I guess I landed an unexpected blow. I closed the rampaging fan bulletin board for now and continued my explanation.
“And Lady Line has a rather close relationship with me… with our family.”
After all, she literally belongs to it.
「That makes sense. So that’s why she came all the way to the players’ waiting room back then.」
“Exactly. That’s how I was able to hear some details about this incident.”
Rendel remained silent, as if urging me to continue. I carefully chose the words that would make him actively participate in this battle and laid them out one by one.
“The one competing with Lady Line for the throne is Rubens Edelstia. They are cousins—his father and hers were half-brothers. And…”
I quietly raised my sniper rifle. Five Aindiums were approaching, pushing through the trees after crossing the mountain ridge designated as the border.
“They are most likely the ones who brought in the forces that attacked our academy and Allob Island last time.”
The machines that appeared in my scope were the same featureless mass-produced units I had seen before. However, an unexpected emblem was engraved on the shoulder of one of the swiftly moving Aindiums.
“The Karmanu national emblem?”
Why was the royal symbol of Karmanu—the one currently used by Line—attached there? As far as I knew, Rubens refused to use that emblem out of pride. Several possibilities flashed through my mind.
「Luna. Is that true?」
“Huh? Yes?”
「Are you saying the ones who invaded Allob belong to Karmanu’s rebel faction?」
The anger mixed into Rendel’s voice snapped me back to attention. Right. Confirmation would have to wait until we captured them.
“Yes. That is the prevailing opinion within Alitus. Karmanu claims to have no information on the invaders, but given the circumstances, it’s almost certainly them.”
Given the animation’s plot progression, the chance of it being otherwise was nearly zero. Checking the cockpits later would confirm it. Just in case there were living pilots instead of corpses, I had also brought the shock rounds I used last time to maximize the chance of capturing them alive.
“Five enemy Aindiums are currently approaching after crossing the border. Sharing coordinates now.”
「Copy. Luna, snipe anyone trying to flee.」
“Understood. Leave it to me.”
Rendel informed the cadets defending the village of the enemy infiltration and then moved out to intercept. I also raised my rifle and took aim. Moments later, once the enemies had advanced deep enough, Rendel burst from his hiding spot in the forest and struck with a single blow.
Clang!
「What…!」
The sound of an enemy Aindium blocking White Fang’s surprise attack rang out, and with it, the Karmanu Salvation Campaign truly began.