Ch.246The Black Coast of Yenisei. Lorelei Federation (2)

The red carpet laid out.

A military band playing music.

Beautiful women presenting bouquets.

These were not for my soldiers, but solely for me.

Yet the soldiers harbored no complaints. It was only natural that I, their lord, would receive such hospitality on their behalf.

I gazed at the Federation Chairman and council members approaching from afar, and as the Federation Chairman stood before me, he shook my hand and spoke.

“Welcome to the Solar Army on the Yenisei Continent. You have either chosen or been ordered to come to this magnificent nation, the Lorelei Federation. As Chairman of the Lorelei Federation, I have always considered this country special. Thus, I have been granted the honorable position of Federation Chairman and Head of State through the nomination of elected council members who received the support of countless citizens. As both a citizen and Head of State, I formally welcome the benefactors who have come to save our nation.”

The Federation Chairman welcomed us with a honeyed voice.

Judging by his voice alone, he seemed like a villain, but well, human society doesn’t operate on such simple deductions.

There’s a saying that physiognomy is a science, but no one seriously believes it.

“I thank you for your hospitality, representative of Lorelei. The power of the Sun has arrived here according to the sacred contract. No one can overwhelm us on the battlefield with the weapons and armaments we possess. The Sun shall bless you until this war ends.”

“Your words bring me immense reassurance. Once again, I express my gratitude. Please, come this way. Lumitator, we have something specially prepared for you.”

“Oh?”

I followed the Federation Chairman along the red carpet.

Then, a young girl—about five to seven years old—dipped bread in salt and offered it to me. I accepted it and looked at the Chairman.

“What is this?”

“It’s a custom of this Yenisei Continent. It’s said that when bread and salt are offered to guests, the blessing of the gods descends upon them—a tradition that has been passed down until now.”

“‘Gods’?”

As I expressed my aversion to the Four Great Gods faith, though unintended, crimson storm clouds suddenly began to form in the clear sky.

Rumble! Crash!

As lightning began to swirl from the suddenly formed crimson clouds, the terrified Federation Chairman knelt before me and began to make excuses.

“Please… please calm your anger… esteemed one. This is a custom passed down since the ancient imperial era.”

“Then why have you adorned your customs in the name of the Four?”

“How long has it been since the Sun left this land? After 51,200 years have passed, the weak mortals had no choice but to submit under immortal authority. Please bestow mercy upon us…”

“…Your argument is valid. The fact that I am the first apostle appointed by the Sun means that He no longer intends to remain a bystander to the mortal world. Through this, the gospel of the Sun will once again spread across the thirteen continents.”

I said this as I dispersed the crimson clouds.

Just by thinking it, the storm clouds that had been swirling with lightning moments ago instantly tore apart like cotton candy and transformed into cumulus clouds.

I accepted and ate the salted bread offered by the girl, then turned around and declared to my soldiers.

“Did you see? Your lord has been invited by the Head of State of this Lorelei Federation and will stay in this country as a ‘guest.’ Your loyalty lies with me, and as guests, you must not cause any harm to the host’s home or family members. Understood?”

“Yes!”

A resounding response echoed, and only then did the Federation Chairman rise again with a bright smile.

Now there was no reason for them to be pushed back.

As long as we are here, the Lorelei Federation can remain an independent sovereign nation.

For the price of 1.3 million gold coins.

*

After the reception, I had my soldiers disembark to spend the night in Pearl Coast, the capital of Lorelei, to recover from their journey fatigue. Then, at dawn the next day, we boarded the Sky Warden again and soared into the sky.

It might seem a bit hasty, but it’s actually appropriate.

With Lorelei’s soldiers already engaged in fierce combat at the front lines, I, as a mercenary and guest general, couldn’t afford to delay.

Having traveled on an airship that boasted overwhelming comfort compared to transport aircraft, my soldiers wouldn’t have accumulated much fatigue.

“Reporting, sir! We will arrive at the combat zone in 30 minutes!”

“Very well. Prepare all troops for airdrop. Commence suppressive fire with the ship’s cannons.”

“Yes, sir!”

After I gave that order, exactly 42 seconds later, the gun barrels began to point forward, sirens sounded, and the sound of soldiers’ boots could be heard.

“Move quickly!”

“Only the first drop unit moves now! Second and third, stand by!”

“Check ammunition and fuel for tanks and armored vehicles before boarding the shuttles!”

“Drop in 20 minutes!”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Drowning out the countless voices was the sound of high-explosive shells fired from sixty 460mm guns.

We couldn’t use nuclear shells to scorch the earth because Lorelei’s soldiers were also there, and if we fired nuclear weapons, normal combat would be impossible due to fallout and aftershocks, especially since we were about to drop.

“My lord, we’ve established connection with Lorelei’s front line command.”

“Put them through.”

“Yes, sir.”

Static… crackle…

After some noise from the communication device brought by the signalman, a thoroughly exhausted female voice came through.

[This is Lorelei Northern Front Defense Command… Was that bombardment just now your doing?]

“Indeed. Were you not notified?”

[We heard that mercenaries were coming, but I didn’t expect someone of your caliber… Anyway, I express my gratitude. Thanks to you, the enemy offensive has… um… ‘vanished.’]

“Our forces will soon drop into the combat zone. They’re armored units led by tanks and armored vehicles, so inform your soldiers to clear the area to prevent the possibility of falling accidents and friendly fire.”

[Understood. The troops who were just getting pummeled will gladly follow that order. The wind is currently blowing toward the enemy here.]

“They have self-propulsion, so there’s no need to worry. What’s the enemy’s status?”

[I can’t say much since the smoke hasn’t cleared yet… but no additional forces have been spotted so far. They must be in shock since their charging forces have completely evaporated. Probably won’t be much movement even when your forces drop.]

“Hmm… understood.”

I ended the transmission and checked my watch.

It was almost time for the first drop unit to descend.

-Three minutes until drop! Squad leaders on each shuttle, commence final personnel check!-

*

Shuttles descended from the sky.

The reason the enemy didn’t respond with anti-aircraft fire was simple—the Sky Warden had fired again.

Due to formation disruption from white phosphorus shells and damage to anti-aircraft weapons, the enemy had no choice but to allow the transport ships to unload tanks and armored vehicles into the smoke-filled craters. My soldiers, who disembarked from the shuttles, quickly piled sandbags to build cover and created shelters for the tanks and armored vehicles.

Although most were new recruits, the existing soldiers were veterans of multiple battles, so as non-commissioned officers and officers, they could properly control the troops, making this possible.

In an instant, firing positions were established in the craters, and tank shelters were prepared in the fragmentation zones.

The enemy forces, having been hit twice by sixty massive guns, panicked when their command post evaporated and attempted to flee the battlefield. We sent them off with another round of white phosphorus shells to their backs.

“No casualties… that’s encouraging.”

“The Sky Warden’s fire support made a huge difference. If we had approached from the ground, we might have suffered significant losses.”

“I agree. That’s why we need to keep a close eye on the sky. We must be prepared for enemy air forces.”

“Understood.”

Just as a tank’s natural enemy is another tank, an air force’s natural enemy is another air force.

No matter how sturdy a battleship might be, it will eventually sink when hit by torpedoes and bombs. Similarly, even an armored airship is vulnerable to fighter aircraft performing aerobatic maneuvers while firing missiles and machine guns at its weak points.

Fortunately, the enemy’s air force wasn’t particularly impressive, and even if they came, they would be turned into sieves by our 360 anti-aircraft guns.

But we couldn’t be complacent. The enemy might hire mercenaries like me to bring in airships, or contract with air wings equipped with fighters and interceptors to try to kill us.

“War is truly exhausting…”

“It always is, sir.”

I watched the shuttles transporting supplies and then returned to the captain’s quarters. There was nothing more for me to do.

“Call me if anything happens. I’ll be with my wife.”

“Yes, sir.”