BXBX NOVEL Chapter 119: | 119 | Status Confirmation
And she had no choice but to comply.
According to him, a task force should be sent to confirm what she had said. She didn\'t hesitate to believe his words. After all, for some reason, she had been feeling the stare of someone else.
It was an instinct she had received as a wyvern rider, so she trusted it with her life.
The fact that they arrived mere hours after their conversation meant that the so-called heretics were already targeting the colony all along. They were merely part of the gears that would start the machine.
She didn\'t know if she should fear such proposition or not, but there was one thing that was clear to the wyvern rider. The United Navy were certainly capable, which meant that the fall of the colony might not be so far in the future.
"Lady Hermona, we have prepared the needed arsenal to start raiding. Our best sailors have aboard the ship and are waiting for you to take command." One of the young deerfolks reported to the wyvern rider.
She looked at him, and noticed his anxious expression. This made her squint her eyes as she understood that something was amiss.
"Thank you for your assistance," But she merely nodded in gratefulness and walked towards their raiding ship. The young beastfolk could only observe with worry as she walked away from him.
As Hermona arrived before the ship, she noticed the unnatural silence. She furrowed her eyebrows as she practically realized what was happening in front of her.
"There\'s no need for such intricate and useless schemes. You all must be the ones sent by the United Navy to investigate the matters of the tribe."
After she uttered her words, several figures emerged in front, beside, and behind her. It seems that she was surrounded, but she maintained her calm and determined expression.
"Apologies for the trouble, Miss Hermona. We are the reconnaissance team sent by the United Navy to confirmed the status of this island and its inhabitants." Hermona heard the aloof words, causing her to gaze towards it.
She then saw a white-wolf beastfolk, who was somewhat beautiful even to a human like Hermona. The most interesting part of the beastfolk was her clothing, akin to a black military-leather suit.
"I thought it was mere rumors, but it seems that beastfolks have allied themselves to the United Navy." She muttered while looking at Mercedes. Her words were clearly heard, making the beastfolk remark.
"We were merely liberated, and shall continue to do so."
"At any rate, we have done our observations these past few hours, Miss Hermona. Naturally, this was under the direct orders of our fleet admiral." Mercedes expressed, while Hermona raised an eyebrow.
"And, are you satisfied with your observations?" Hermona questioned, wanting to know the thoughts of the other side.
"That is classified, but we will be assisting you in your activities as raiding rebels." Mercedes didn\'t answer her question and merely said what they would be doing with her.
"Even though I\'d like you to be honest, I guess we really aren\'t in equal terms so I\'ll shut my mouth." Hermona mumbled to herself and walked towards the raiding ship where most of her crew were conversing with Minokins.
It was an intriguing sight that made her wryly smile.
"Alright, this newly-arrived team will be assisting us in our raiding activities. They are allies, and I hope that the relationship between the two of us foster." Hermona uttered to her crew and the reconnaissance team.
While she was giving her speech, Mercedes observed in the sidelines. Even though it was peculiar for a human girl to be leading a beastfolk tribe. After observing Hermona, Mercedes understood the reason why.
She had the qualities of a leader, something severely lacking in the Deerfolk Tribe.
Mercedes had already heard about how she burned an entire medieval brig to save the so-called Saintess. She even killed the supposed colonial envoy and his guards, creating the first rebellion in the colony of the archipelago.
\'But a wyvern rider. How did she come ashore to this island? Perhaps, there is much more that we should know about this strange human girl.\' Mercedes quietly thought to herself and closed her eyelids.
She remembered the previous moments where she called the fleet about the status confirmation.
...
Mercedes stopped observing Hermona who was leading the preparation of the raiding party. She glanced at her team beside her and the unusually silent Espada.
The status of the island and its inhabitants had been confirmed.
A human girl was leading them and they were wholeheartedly supporting it.
"Do you find it strange, Espada?" Mercedes softly inquired to the giant Minokin, who merely grunted in response before answering her inquiry.
"I have noticed that this tribe lack anyone with the qualities of a leader. I supposed that this colony have done a better job at culling future rebels from their islands. Nonetheless, in desperate times, she stood against the oppressing force."
"Even if she was a human, she had done something that they couldn\'t do. It gave them hope for their freedom, making her the one that holds their torch. A patriot."
"As such, as peculiar as it might seem, I don\'t find it strange." Espada\'s answer made a lot of sense and opened a lot of ideas inside Mercedes\'s head. It appears that there was a reason why he was the former warchief of the Minokin Tribe, or the now called the State of Minos.
"I guess you are correct about that."
"Now that we have confirmed their status, it\'s about time to contact the fleet." Mercedes took out a radio and opened a communication line.
Meanwhile, in the seas beside the archipelago colony was the piercing formation of ships, the temporary fleet, Storm. Inside the fleet was the UNS Light Bringer and the UNS Jaeger of the Blue Seas.
Inside the combat information center of the UNS Light Bringer was Captain Lux, the first captain of the United Navy.
"Sir, the reconnaissance team has opened a communication line. Requesting for connection." A communication operator reported, causing the captain to nodded in agreement and respond.
"Connect, and have them in our speakers."
"Affirmative, Captain Lux." The communication operator swiftly began operating the comms and connected the line to the onboard speakers.
*ZZZzzzzz... This is Lieutenant Mercedes of the Special Response Unit Reconnaissance Team, please respond.*
Mercedes\'s words echoed throughout the combat information center, while the captain of the UNS Light Bringer replied. "Communication open to UNS Light Bringer."
"Lieutenant, has the status been confirmed?" He calmly inquired while gazing through the screens displayed by their drones
*Captain Lux, status is confirmed. The Deerfolk Tribe are now rebelling against the colony and its leader is a human girl. We will be advancing to phase two of Operation Storming Freedom, thereby assisting the rebels.*
*The fleet is free to sail towards the heart of the colony.*
Hearing the confirmation of Lieutenant Mercedes, Captain Lux grinned and felt excitement in his heart. He looked at his intelligence officers and ordered.
"Send this information to our data link. Set our course to the colonial center of this archipelago and prepare for battle!"
"Lieutenant Mercedes, take care of yourselves and your mission. We will be relying in your assistance in the battle." Captain Lux uttered through the comms.
*We shall not fail, Captain Lux. After all, we are the Special Response Unit of the Fleet Admiral and the Dragoness.* Captain Lux smiled after hearing what she had said as the transmission closed.
Back to the island, Mercedes turned off the radio and glanced at her men.
"Let\'s meet with this rebel leader of ours for phase two."
...
In the present, the reconnaissance team was currently sailing with the raiding team of the Deer Folk Tribe. Their mission, with the help of the map looted from the colonial envoy, was to attack the merchant lanes of the archipelago.
According to the map, the archipelago had a busy sea. Business was practically booming with various exploited tribes accelerating it.
The reconnaissance team stood in the bow as they maintained contact with the fleet. From their messages, it seems that the fleet was mere 50 kilometers away from the main colony in the archipelago. It shouldn\'t take long before the official battle of Operating Storming Freedom.
"And it shouldn\'t take long for ours too." Mercedes muttered to herself as she noticed a shadowy silhouette in the distance. It was none other than their target, a merchant ship.
"Medieval brig detected 6 clicks in the east!" Espada shouted, bringing the attention of the crew and Hermona. All of the looked at the direction his eyes was pointed at and saw a black dot.
"Set our course to the east, sail at full colours." Hermona ordered the young deerfolks who immediately uncovered more of their sails. The helmsman turned the wheel, setting the ship to the east.
Even though clearly inexperience, the deerfolks were swift.
"Espada, it\'s time to take that out." Mercedes ordered the giant Minokin, making him grin. After all, he was very excited from the weapon they were given by the United Navy.
"I was wondering when you would order me to take it out." He remarked while taking out parts of the Anzio 20mm Vulcan from his bag.