Training Camp - Day 2: The Cadet Legion
The impact was confirmed. The direction was correct, but the distance was a little short. I’ll transmit the corrected coordinates.
“Oh, as expected of the CT Club. Fast, fast.”
The nameless senior quickly opened fire using the coordinates I sent. The moment the shells struck the target, I signaled to keep shooting. The ten Vivald-class units rained down overwhelming destructive power across the terrain. In a barren valley of a remote mountain closed off to civilians, flames consumed everything, snuffing out the lives of the monster horde that had been driven there.
It was the second day of the training camp. Our CT Club had joined the other clubs for a monster subjugation mission. The herding pilots were operating with such intensity that it seemed they intended to round up every monster in not only Lans City but the entire Palomain region. The actual hunting team was starting to feel exhausted.
“Next herding team incoming.”
“Resupply and reloading will take at least another ten minutes.”
At the operator’s report for the Vivald-class artillery battery, the main operator, Senior Ran, issued instructions immediately.
“Legion personnel. Could you hold the next wave for us?”
“Of course.”
The reply was polite yet rigid, exactly what you’d expect from a soldier. Dozens of Aindiums belonging to the ‘Cadet Legion’—commonly called simply the ‘Legion’—that had been guarding the perimeter of the Vivald-class artillery unit stepped forward in perfect unison.
Mostly composed of mass-produced unit pilots, the Legion was a group that trained relentlessly under the motto of ‘the perfect soldier.’ Among all the pilot clubs, it had the largest membership and received substantial support because it aligned perfectly with the military academy’s founding purpose. It was the complete opposite of our CT Club, where every pilot was required to have a personalized machine with a distinct personality, but that difference was no reason for hostility.
Senior Carson, who frequently served as field commander during joint training exercises, was on good terms with the Legion cadets. I also had quite a few pilot friends among their ranks.
“Spotter. Report the enemy’s position and scale.”
Thanks to the Black Fairy’s improved flight capabilities, I had been assigned the observer role. I maintained an appropriate altitude and surveyed the battlefield.
“Herding team confirmed. Transmitting coordinates and estimated arrival time.”
Calculations that would have taken considerable time without the fairy were completed in an instant. I compiled only the necessary data and transmitted it. The two operators responsible for the Legion adjusted positions according to Senior Ran’s guidance.
Even mass-produced units usually featured unique modifications or added parts that gave each one a distinct appearance, but the Legion’s Aindiums were equipped with nearly uniform standard-issue armaments. While loadouts differed slightly by role, the differences were minor—like a grenadier carrying one extra grenade launcher—so the group truly felt like a single unified legion, just as the name suggested.
The operators analyzed the coordinates and arrival time I had sent, issued orders, and the Legion took up positions with the precision of thoroughly trained soldiers, completing their attack preparations. Of course, the first-years were mostly just imitating what they had seen.
“Here they come, here they come.”
“Shh. Stay quiet.”
Unlike the silent, professional second- and third-years of the Legion, my first-year classmates couldn’t hide their excitement at the sight of the approaching monsters. They were probably fidgeting inside their cockpits right now.
“When the herding team peels off, strike the flanks.”
“Roger!”
The operator painted the overall picture, compiled the information, and relayed it. The field commander then issued the appropriate orders. Still, they seemed to have driven far more monsters than expected. Would the Legion’s firepower be enough to hold them all back?
Wondering if I should lend a hand, I slowly began to descend. That was when I spotted Rendel from the herding team rushing over. He must have noticed me, because he waved with his White Fang and altered course from the planned position.
“Luna. Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing major. I was just worried the firepower might be insufficient.”
“Huh? It’s the Legion’s turn this time.”
“Yes. Compared to driving them into the valley and bombarding with Vivald-class units, wouldn’t this be a bit weaker?”
“Haha. Luna, you’ve never seen the Legion fight before, have you?”
“No. Are they that strong?”
“They are. If Ran judged it would be too much for her to handle, she wouldn’t have assigned this wave to them, right?”
“Ah.”
As the main operator, Senior Ran already knew the scale of the monster horde the herding team was driving. There had to be a reason she chose to deploy the Legion now, when the numbers were unusually high. If there was one person who wouldn’t make a mistake in judgment, it was her.
Still, it felt like a waste to simply ascend again, so I decided to fire at least once. I circled at an altitude of one hundred meters—where the mana burden was light—and raised my weapon.
The current herding team consisted of six members: Rendel, Savian, and four pilots from other clubs. The Aindiums that had stirred up the monster nests were leading six separate streams of monsters toward the mountain foothills.
Because this would be a mid-range engagement rather than bombardment, the herding team did not head into the valley. Instead, they moved to link up with the defensive line the Legion had prepared.
The monsters were bizarre creatures—large reptiles mixed with chicken-like features. Each one exceeded two meters in size. If you encountered them on foot, you wouldn’t even be able to collect your own bones.
As a longtime fan of the series myself, I somewhat agreed with the theory. Since no monsters lived in space, they could be considered one of the defining characteristics of the Galaxia series. Drawing those grotesque creatures one by one must have been incredibly tedious. These days they probably used digital tools, but still. Wouldn’t it be better to have some cute monsters? They could even tie in with toy lines.
Before long the monsters entered firing range. The Legion had already piled up plenty of cover, fortified their position, and was waiting. The herding team, which had run desperately the entire way, safely joined the Legion’s lines.
“Open fire!”
They had drawn the monsters in far enough to prevent scattering, then unleashed a coordinated volley. The leading ranks collapsed beneath the hail of bullets. Excited monsters trampled over the fallen and charged forward. Legion Aindiums shoved away creatures slipping through gaps in the cover using their shields. Grenades launched in sequence. Explosions. Explosions. And more explosions.
Rather than awkwardly inserting myself into the fight, I observed the Legion’s combat style from the air. I had seen plenty of Aindium-versus-Aindium battles and one-on-one duels, but watching them handle monsters in this coordinated manner was rare, so it made for excellent study.
“They’re beginning to change direction.”
“Deploy the encirclement. We’ll drive them toward the mountain.”
Before I realized it, dozens of Legion Aindiums had formed an encirclement and were herding the remaining monsters up the slope. Terrified by the unreasonable firepower pouring from the massive opponents, the monsters fled into the valley exactly as guided. Soon afterward, the Vivald-class units that had finished reloading began their bombardment.
Thanks to the horde being reduced to less than half its original size, the shelling ended quickly. The Legion’s Aindiums then swept the valley, confirming kills on the survivors.
The Legion really was stronger than I had thought. In the animation I had assumed they were simply a large group of mass-produced units, but they performed exceptionally well. Feeling slightly guilty for the rude thought, I replenished my fuel and took to the air once more for the next hunt.
“Everyone worked hard.”
“Good work!”
“Whew. Good work, everyone.”
With Senior Ran’s declaration that the operation was over, the two-day-long hunt finally concluded. Even I, who had prior monster-hunting experience, felt exhausted, so it was only natural that the first-years—with almost no real combat experience—were completely drained.
Piloting an Aindium secretly demanded considerable stamina. Everyone massaged their numb limbs and staggered along with unsteady steps.
From friends who had been assigned to the city side, I heard the mission there hadn’t been as intense. They simply had to herd monsters along the highways a short distance from the city. As long as the lead pilots didn’t get overly enthusiastic, it was actually more comfortable than regular school days.
After returning to base, washing up, and changing, each club held its own reflection meeting. Since our CT Club had nothing in particular to reflect upon, it simply became a casual chatting session.
“Everyone worked hard. It ended earlier than expected.”
“Good work.”
The first-year juniors looked noticeably tired. Mikhail and Savian had been running nonstop as part of the herding team, so they were completely wiped out. Neria sat with a dazed expression, moving her hands through the air. Looking closely at the motions, she appeared to be tightening bolts with a tool…. Poor Neria. I decided I would buy her favorite snacks in town tomorrow.
“Ugh… my throat…”
Even the usually talkative Christine and the quick-witted Jenna seemed to have found operating from morning until evening for two straight days exhausting.
“Among the first-years, Luna looks the most energetic. Is it because you’ve been through a lot of real combat?”
“Ah, no. It’s just that my unit only has to fly around.”
“Come on. I saw you landing and taking off repeatedly to refuel by yourself in between.”
Rarely, Kirie actually praised me. Perhaps because she had been worried about burdening the maintenance cadets, she had let me handle my own refueling. Her gaze toward me was unusually gentle.
But I truly didn’t feel tired at all. I hadn’t experienced the full-body shaking that came from running on the ground, nor had any monsters chased me or charged directly at me.
Senior Ran, who had been observing my condition, smiled and said,
“Then you can head out right away tomorrow.”
“Huh? Head out where?”
“Hm? Didn’t you hear before we left? We’re stopping by Senior Yvette’s family home.”
“Ah, that.”
“Originally, if the hunt ran long we were planning to go the day after tomorrow. But the senior kept pressing us.”
I had no idea why the countess—who was a distant cousin by marriage—wanted to meet me, but the feeling was distinctly uneasy. It probably wasn’t an attempt to forge connections to Karmanu through me. Was she simply inviting me because her daughter attended the same school? That didn’t seem likely either.
Recalling Yvette’s words, the countess clearly had a definite purpose in wanting to see me.
This was the world inside the animation Aindium – Wing of Union. I couldn’t help wondering what kind of effect this meeting would have on the story’s progression.
With emotions caught between worry and anticipation, I turned in early for the night.