第９７０堀：接触 (Part1)
Chapter 970: Contact
Side: Yuki
"Big Brother. There’s nothing unusual about the enemy fleet’s movements."
"I see. Thank you. Please continue the surveillance."
"Roger!"
"Understood, it is!"
"Don't let your guard down either, Yuki."
Sent off by the voices of Aslin and the others, we were heading toward the ship that appeared to be the flagship of the Hein fleet.
That’s right. We had successfully made contact with the Hein fleet, which had been aiming for Aurelia Port.
The Hein fleet seemed wary at first, but once we announced via loudspeaker that Princess Palfil was on board, they calmed down.
"Still, the enemy remains vigilant, doesn't it?"
"Well, isn't that to be expected? From their perspective, the aircraft carrier we’re on is larger than anything they’ve ever seen."
Eris and Milly were chatting about this.
Since we were facing thirty ships with just one aircraft carrier, we had gathered the best possible personnel for the task, ensuring we could survive even if it turned into a chaotic melee.
Well, not that it mattered much; the carrier’s basic Phalanx CIWS was always in a state ready to fire, so the chances of them successfully boarding us were practically zero.
As Eris and Milly noted, the Hein fleet, while keeping us in their sights, had adopted a formation that spread out to surround us, eventually granting us permission to board their flagship.
"Hmm. But Yuki, is it really necessary for us to go out of our way to board them?"
"It’s clear from the sight of our ship that we hold the superior position. Master, wouldn't it be better to have the Hein people come over to us instead?"
Deryu and Rurua asked.
"I understand what you two are saying, but we need to be the ones to board. For starters, we can't let them see the inside of the carrier, and we need to board them formally to discuss how Hein intends to deal with us, Weed. We also need to verify the situation regarding the previous envoys. If we board with their permission and get attacked, we’ll have a legitimate cause for retaliation. If it’s the other way around..."
"...I see. You mean there’s a possibility they could stir up false claims, like accusing us of unjust intimidation or tricking their envoys?"
"But wouldn't that be the same regardless of who boards? They could just as easily fabricate a story about being attacked by our carrier, couldn't they?"
"If they’re willing to go that far, then they’re already hostile. And in that case, rather than being attacked while on the carrier..."
"It’s easier to handle from the enemy flagship. We could sink it or capture it right then and there."
"Exactly. I’m not going to let an enemy who’s already hostile just walk away."
The strategy here was to use bait to see if they’d bite.
The envoys they sent earlier were so incompetent that the option of letting such people onto our carrier was off the table.
"That’s why I asked Aslin and the others to surround them with the Monster Navy."
"I see. So you intend to crush them in one go if a battle breaks out. Well, there’s no one better suited to command the monsters than Aslin."
"She’s constantly monitoring their movements, and she can act immediately if the situation calls for it."
The two of them seemed convinced by my explanation.
While Deryu or Rurua could certainly command them effectively, the monsters were always more eager to follow Aslin. It was a genuine talent. When it came to commanding monsters, Aslin held an absolute position.
"...When you first said you were appointing Aslin as the General and the person in charge of this reconnaissance, I thought you had lost your mind, but I suppose that wasn't the case."
"Seraria was absolutely furious, too."
"Naturally. Seraria dotes on Aslin, Firia, Vilia, and Hiiro so much that she can't help herself."
As Rurua and Eris said, Seraria had been against involving Aslin and the others in this operation.
I mean, putting aside Aslin and Firia, what about the time Vilia and Hiiro participated in the mock battle on the carrier at the Sea-Cypho capital? And when I pointed out that Aslin and Firia had participated in the Litea war, she had said...
*'In both those cases, we guardians were right by their sides, ready to rush in at a moment's notice! But this time is different!'*
When she put it that way, it made sense, but it felt like she was being overly protective. I understood her feelings, but...
"Even now that she has a daughter of her own, her little sister will always be her little sister. Well, to us, Aslin and the others are like cute younger sisters too, so we understand the feeling... but for Seraria, this is like watching them leave the nest for a second time."
Ratz was probably right.
Her actual younger sister, Elju, had already left the nest and was busy every day assisting Liliana of the Last Kingdom and acting as a mediator between nations, so Seraria didn't get to dote on her much anymore.
Because of that, I couldn't help but feel she was trying to resist anything that might lead to Aslin and the others becoming independent.
...Seraria really does dote on her sisters.
"As an older sister, you’d think she’d be able to watch them leave the nest in silence."
"Indeed. So, where is the person in question?"
"Ah, Seraria is providing backup for Aslin and the others. She’s standing by so she can rush over and help if anything happens."
Man, that is the definition of a sister-obsessed person.
"I see. Well, if Seraria is supporting from the rear, it makes things easier for us. Still, it’s a pain that we know nothing about the Great Flood that Aslin and the others warned us about."
"We simply haven't had enough time to gather information."
"Well, let’s pray that Curse and the others who stayed behind will do their best."
As for the Great Flood of monsters that Aslin and the others suggested, we had no information, so there was nothing we could do about it for now.
For the time being, we decided to prioritize the Hein situation and left the investigation to the remaining members.
"Curse and the others will report back if they find anything. Oh, it looks like they’re ready on the other side. Let’s go."
"Yes!"
We took off from the carrier's deck using magic and headed toward the Hein flagship anchored in front of us.
During that short flight, I thought to myself:
*Honestly, if we can do this, there’s no need to pull alongside and board them at all.*
Besides, mages also serve as artillery, so we could have just attacked with magic from a distance.
But they weren't doing that, even though they should have been capable of it.
The possibility was that they either lacked flight mages, or they had them but viewed us as a party worth negotiating with.
...It was likely the latter.
For a major power to not have mages on board who could attack enemies without boarding would be sheer stupidity.
The fact that they positioned their ships to surround our carrier was likely so they could attack from all 360 degrees at any time.
...Well, I don't know if there’s anyone on this continent capable of casting magic strong enough to pierce the armor of the carrier *Lilishe*, a Nimitz-class vessel.
We also had the omnidirectional magic barrier system developed by Taizo-san, Zargis, Narjia-san, and Comet.
In theory, it was designed to withstand a full broadside from a battleship.
Well, if we were close enough to be in the range of such a battleship, we’d already be in trouble.
While I was thinking about such useless things, we arrived at the Hein flagship and landed where Steve was waving a flag on the deck.