第３８１堀：困難な任務だったぜ（棒読み） (Part1)
### Chapter 381: A "Difficult" Mission (Sarcasm)
**Side: Steve**
As we were heading toward the large building, a message came in from the Boss.
The contents were as follows:
*Noble has yet to make a move; he is currently being led away by Kirika’s diversion. There are no signs that he has noticed your actions. Continue the operation. However, be aware that he might be feigning a trip to his office while actually moving toward your location. Keep communication frequent and remain vigilant of any changes.*
In short, the operation is proceeding extremely smoothly.
It’s rare for military operations like this to go so well. Even in the military exercises back home, it’s uncommon to achieve the primary objective without a hitch. Heck, there were times during exercises with the Boss where he’d make it look like things were going perfectly, only to trap us all in one fell swoop.
I can’t afford to let my guard down, but when things go *this* well, it actually starts to make me nervous. Still, we aren’t going to abort the mission, so we’ll just keep moving according to plan. It’s one of those things where you could worry forever if you let yourself.
(Did you see the message?)
(Yes. Captain, any changes to the plan?)
(None. We’re proceeding with the investigation of the large building as scheduled. You know the drill—absolutely no letting your guard down.)
(Understood.)
After exchanging those words via hand signals, we resumed our movement toward the area where the target building stood, arriving shortly thereafter.
There wasn't much foot traffic. It was just past midday, so it wasn't unnatural for people to be back at work after lunch. There were almost no people on the roads, and not even a patrolling soldier in sight.
...I guess since they’ve secured the exterior so tightly, they aren't sparing much manpower for the interior?
As I pondered this, the large building and its gate came into view.
Honestly, what’s the point of monitoring the road? An intruder wouldn't use such an obvious path. Ah, but they’re standing at the gate, so maybe they aren't specifically guarding against intruders after all. Well, that doesn't mean we can afford to be spacey.
(Alright, activate optical camouflage. We’ll fly up once and take a look from above. We aren't infiltrating yet. We’ll take photos to check for any hidden traps.)
(Understood.)
(Alright, here we go...)
I counted down on my fingers, and when we hit zero, we leaped into the air to survey the grounds. After landing, we retreated to a safe spot to review the photos we’d taken.
(The large building is just surrounded by a three-meter wall.)
(Yes. No barbed wire on top, and no signs of traps on the landing side either.)
(So, infiltrating and exfiltrating the grounds is easy enough. Now, where to break in and look around...)
We knew getting in and out of the grounds was a breeze. The next problem was deciding which part of the building to infiltrate. All the large structures were connected by narrow corridors. There were multiple entry points, including the ends of those corridors and what looked like back doors. Given the size of the town, there should be quite a few people working inside; if we carelessly open a door, we’re bound to be noticed...
(Captain. How about we infiltrate the grounds and peek in through the windows?)
(...That’s the best bet. We won't know the security setup or if there are hidden traps until we actually get in. We’ll do a reconnaissance run, and if it looks clear, we’ll proceed with the internal infiltration. By the way, how’s our timing?)
(No delays in the operation. We have plenty of time to scout and return for a follow-up search if needed.)
(Good. I’ll report the situation to the Boss. There might be some movement on his end.)
(Understood. I’ll keep watch on the perimeter.)
With that, I sent a report to the Boss—or rather, the operations headquarters. The Boss himself was likely swamped with overall coordination.
The reply came back in a few minutes:
*Situation confirmed. There appear to be no issues with your operation. Proceed as planned. Other units also report no issues. Overall, the operation is proceeding extremely well. However, this state is, in a sense, very unnatural. Do not lower your guard, do not underestimate the opponent, and continue to execute the operation with speed.*
Wow. I thought it was just a pile of boilerplate text, but it seems even the operations headquarters is getting nervous because things are going too well. Well, I can’t blame them. In some "fairy tale of love and courage," this is the part where the comms with the entire assault team cut off, leading to a terrifying situation. Naturally, the assault team gets wiped out, and the plan shifts to blowing everything up from the outside.
Fortunately, our enemies are just humans and monsters, not some miracle lifeform from outer space. I don't think we’d stand a chance against the creatures from that story. In that sense, I’m glad this isn't a super-civilized sci-fi low-fantasy, but a low-civilized high-fantasy.
Eh, never mind that. I called back my subordinate who was on perimeter watch. I was about to tell them the operation was a go, but...
(Captain. Are you... smiling?)
Ah, did it show on my face? Well, nothing to hide.
(The operation is a go. But even the headquarters is nervous because it’s going too well.)
(Ah...)
(And I was just thinking, I’m really glad this is a low-civilized high-fantasy world.)
When I said that, my subordinate seemed to understand, offering a wry smile. We checked our gear, readying ourselves to move into action...
(If we were over there, these weapons we rely on would be nothing but pea-shooters.)
(You’re telling me.)
If that were the case, we’d have to bring in the war machines, but man, I’d hate that. We’d be at a definite disadvantage. We’d have to fight like our lives depended on it—literally.
(I’m happy with our current life.)
(Agreed. Alright, the route is a full circle from this point. Keep optical camouflage on. Watch your mana levels.)
(Understood. I have 15 hours of continuous operation remaining.)
(Same here. No reports of malfunctions or defects so far, but don't panic if the camouflage fails. If you’re spotted, act as a decoy and escape. If you aren't spotted, retreat to the rendezvous point, secure the path, and wait for the others.)
(Understood.)
(Alright, let’s go.)
After the final check, we slipped inside the walls of the large building's grounds. The goal: find an infiltration route.
Man, in a "Solid" world, this would already be mapped out and I’d just have to follow the nav. Having to do this manually is such a pain. No satellites, no computer management—all we can do is try to steal the blueprints from inside. Yeah, that’s impossible.
Well, if we had that kind of tech, the enemy would have security to match, so it’s not necessarily a good thing. Honestly, I’ll be real: I’m no legendary mercenary. If I were in that kind of world, I’d have been caught and killed by now. I know my own limits.
(Still, it’s a large building, but... it doesn't really feel like a secret facility, does it?)
We crept further into the grounds and stared up at the wall of the looming building.