Ch.268Ah, let’s do our joint training.

# Chapter 268: Ah, Let’s Have Joint Training

The brilliant method we came up with was none other than this.

“What if we hold joint training exercises in our territory?”

“Oh.”

It was about utilizing the fleets of ISTO treaty nations for large-scale joint training.

“By using this approach, we can significantly reduce fleet operation costs, and at the same time, wouldn’t each nation be able to deploy fleets that include battleships?”

“Perfect!”

Of course, when our proposal was presented to Artraia through the royal council…

“Arto, it sounds decent enough… but how do you plan to do this within our territory?”

“I’m curious too. If the joint training location ends up being elsewhere, it could only deplete our forces.”

Our two Ether Dragons expressed concerns about our plan.

Of course, since we had already prepared countermeasures for this…

“Trust me.”

“…”

I reassured them of their worries and proceeded to get approval to move forward with the plan.

———————————————

Inside the usual ISTO Treaty Committee.

As always, in that place where they used bizarre language incomprehensible to ordinary people while continuing their political discussions among themselves…

“Everyone, how about gathering the treaty member nations for joint training exercises?”

The leader of the treaty.

The ambassador dispatched from the Holy Sebelli Empire was enthusiastically explaining to the representatives of the treaty member nations gathered there.

“Joint training exercises.”

“The plan sounds quite plausible…”

Along with Sebelli’s attitude, the representatives reading the distributed guidelines were showing quite positive reactions.

Of course, some treaty nations had rather unfavorable responses to Sebelli’s attitude.

“But why suddenly hold joint training exercises?”

“The ceasefire with Fuksoviet still has about 10 years left, and even Prosnak has now normalized diplomatic relations and stopped indiscriminate invasions.”

To summarize the conclusion, it essentially felt like: why do this when there’s no one to fight?

But to those negative responses, the Holy Sebelli Empire threw out bait for the skeptics.

“Don’t you all actually want to cut down on the size of the massive unified treaty fleet that we’re currently responsible for?”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Honestly, dismantling a significant portion of the fleet is a foregone conclusion, but we can’t just throw away all that expertise, can we?”

“Yes, well…?”

“So while we’re still maintaining the treaty fleet, let’s gather the fleets of ISTO member nations and conduct proper joint training exercises.”

By doing so, for newly emerging nations just stepping into interstellar civilization…

Or nations whose fleets lack training and experience because they’ve been rushing to rebuild after being devastated by war…

Or fleets whose experience has diminished because it’s been too long since they fought a war…

Or nations whose fleets are intact but have lost their mid-level officers—the backbone of the fleet—due to war, like the Eastern nations…

The proposal was to help such member nations.

Naturally, since it was essentially the same as being directly trained by galactic superpowers…

“Oh…”

“Just by participating, we get an elite fleet copied and pasted!!”

The enthusiastic reactions from the small nations, which made up the numerical majority of treaty members, began to erupt throughout the treaty committee.

“Our fleet is definitely a bit weak in the middle.”

“The purpose certainly doesn’t seem bad. We can use this opportunity to improve the quality of our fleets through training new personnel.”

And additionally, the Holy Sebelli Empire delivered the final blow.

“If we do this, even if the treaty fleet is appropriately reduced in size later… or even if it changes to a military advisory group format, we can still exert the power of the treaty whenever needed, can’t we?”

“You mean each country can help each other anytime through an organic fleet training system.”

Of course, if Arto heard this, he would snicker.

He had painfully experienced how incompetently NATO or the EU had acted when trying to do the same thing in reality.

Of course, since Arto himself was pushing this plan forward…

He wouldn’t carelessly run his mouth.

Before long.

The Treaty Committee announced through the Galactic Alliance that they would hold large-scale joint training exercises mobilizing fleets in the territory of the Holy Sebelli Empire, where the treaty fleet was stationed.

——————————————–

And while I was in the middle of work…

-Ring ring♬

[Pause]

[Event: Joint Training Between ISTO Member Nations!]

[Based on the proposal from the Holy Sebelli Empire, the ISTO Treaty Committee has planned large-scale joint training exercises in the Empire’s territory.]

[With dozens of participating countries combined, this will likely be one of the largest exercises in galactic history, beyond a simple training.]

[However, interstellar civilizations, nations that would appear on the national rankings, are expected to bring newly organized fleets of appropriate size.]

[Small interstellar nations—those that have barely established planetary governments or not even that—]

[Will first gather separately and form a separate united fleet before coming, as they could otherwise be plundered by large-scale interstellar pirates on their way.]

[ISTO member nations granted the trait “Joint Training Period” (Member nations’ cohesion with the treaty organization +10)]

[In 150 days, “ISTO Joint Training Fleet” will be granted within the Holy Sebelli Empire.]

[This fleet does not consume maintenance costs.]

[Warning! If the fleet stays for more than 3 months, the Holy Sebelli Empire will bear the maintenance costs!]

‘Kyaaaaa, jackpot!’

Seeing the sudden event message, I felt like my whole body would tremble with excitement.

Of course, since the game was paused, that wasn’t actually possible.

‘Good, good, this gives me new forces to make that Sun Emperor bastard eat dirt.’

This is a common event in games, but I never thought I could use it like this.

Usually in such events, I, the player, would have my fleet requisitioned for a certain period—a garbage event.

Of course, in exchange, goodwill increases and whatnot, but at the cost of not being able to use up to one fleet for a certain period…

What user would like such an event?

But in this case, the situation was different.

——————————————–

“Why isn’t Sebelli sending their own fleet to the joint fleet?”

“Is Sebelli afraid of the power of the great small nation alliance?”

“No, the joint training is happening in our territory, so why would our fleet need to go elsewhere…?”

———————————————

As our diplomatic ambassador said to the small nation’s diplomat who was speaking in what sounded like Southeast Asian translated speech…

Since the training is happening in our Empire, why would our fleet be included in the joint training fleet?

Moreover, that wasn’t the only good thing.

[In 150 days, “ISTO Joint Training Fleet” will be granted within the Holy Sebelli Empire.]

[This fleet does not consume maintenance costs.]

‘Hmmmm…’

In that brilliant event message, there was something more blessed than anything else.

A fleet with no ‘maintenance costs’—what wonderful words.

Although it says it will arrive in 150 days…

[Warning! If the fleet stays for more than 3 months, the Holy Sebelli Empire will bear the maintenance costs!]

‘Hmm.’

It states that the free period is only about 90 days, or 3 months…

‘What’s 3 months? If the Kirsanid Scourge comes, the front line will collapse within a month, let alone 3 months.’

That was my prediction, so there was no need to worry about that part.

The more critical problem was…

‘Ah, 150 days is cutting it a bit close.’

Even as the treaty committee bickered during meetings, time continued to flow…

With 20 days already passed, only 159 days remained until the Sun Emperor and the Scourge would arrive.

This meant that even after the joint fleet arrived, they would have only a week to adapt and operate in our empire.

‘Sigh, I should be grateful if they just arrive at all.’

I wondered how many would gather in the joint fleet.

Even if it was a very small number, less than 10,000 ships…

‘There’s no point in being greedy here.’

I resolved to focus all my efforts on capturing and punishing the Sun Emperor, grateful for securing additional forces, however small they might be.