LIGHTNOVELONLINE -Don’t even think about letting a single one escape!
-You got this!
-Gumi! Get your act together too!
The operation was progressing smoothly.
Even easier than I expected.
Honestly, considering it was the first stage, I couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious.
Of course, I wasn’t the only one worrying about it, but there was nothing I could do about it.
“We’ll soon reach the middle of the mountain.”
“The concentration of contamination will probably be more severe.”
“Yes.”
Naturally, as we got closer to the peak, the contamination would intensify.
Despite the agents moving quickly, it hardly felt like a problem.
The agents were heading to the peak even faster than I thought.
At first, the atmosphere was pretty hectic, which made me a bit worried, but they ended up exceeding expectations.
Maybe it was because of that atmosphere that they performed so well.
“What about supplies?”
“No problem. We anticipate an increase in contaminated entities from the middle of the mountain, but there’s no issue with ammunition, and we’re still confirming the status of other supplies.”
Normally, I would have to be more attentive about supplies, but this wasn’t the case.
Out of the five agents, only two were using guns, and the operation wasn’t exactly long.
If the contamination was severe or it took a long time to get close to the core, we would need more supplies.
“Then there’s no problem for now. Since we started the operation a bit earlier, there shouldn’t be any sudden changes in contamination.”
“Yes.”
-This is 1st Squad. Is it alright if we take a break at the middle of the mountain?
Then, I heard from the 1st Squad.
The commander and I exchanged glances as we reacted to the 1st Squad’s message.
I was just curious about how he would respond… and it seemed like he was feeling the same way.
Well, it hasn’t been long since he became a commander.
Besides, the only “leadership” he had received was from the boss during the last tutorial.
I had no choice but to nod at him, giving permission for the 1st Squad to rest.
“It’s a bit far to the summit, so I’ll allow a short break.”
-Thank you. Mary? Let’s sit here and take a break.
-This place is a bit quiet, letting my mind settle down… It feels like my mind is getting clearer too.
The commander understood my reaction properly and informed the agents before disconnecting.
It must have been meant to ensure the agents could rest comfortably, right?
Or maybe… it was because the agents were just too loud?
“Thanks.”
“Yes?”
“I’ve given orders before, but the real thing is… a bit challenging.”
“Oh.”
Suddenly, he thanked me, which surprised me.
It was unexpected!
It’s not every day your boss suddenly says thank you; isn’t it natural to be a bit taken aback?
At least, that was how I felt.
“Don’t mention it. I was just doing my duty as a vice commander, so no need for thanks.”
“No, even so, it was something to be thankful for.”
“…….”
“Even though you’re lower in rank, this part is something that needs to be acknowledged.”
Hmm…
Hearing what the commander said felt strange.
Most bosses… tend to do things their way or rarely care about their subordinates.
Of course, I hadn’t worked in many similar positions, but…
Having worked various part-time jobs and small companies, I’ve had my fair share of experiences.
So, being treated this way felt a bit unusual.
“Uh… Thank you?”
“Though I’m your superior… I still have a lot to learn. If you could assist me as you did earlier, I’d be truly grateful.”
“I’ll do my best to support you.”
I bow slightly while answering his somewhat awkward words.
Honestly, bowing wasn’t necessary, but I did it anyway.
He was showing me respect beyond my expectations.
I thought it’d be better if I showed him the same respect.
Not just because he was my superior, but to sincerely acknowledge it.
“Why are you two suddenly acting all formal?”
“Just idle chatter between a boss and subordinate.”
“Got it.”
“Meow…?”
That wasn’t anything strange.
Just an average conversation, really.
“More importantly, let’s take a break as well. Midori? Go get some snacks.”
“Huh!”
“The café should be closed for a bit… so no coffee. Just grab anything.”
“Got it!”
After saluting the commander, Midori… dashed out of the operation room like she was escaping.
Well, she wasn’t actually escaping, but she was so eager it felt that way.
And so… I was left alone with the commander in the operation room.
Well, even when Midori was here, there were only three of us, so it wasn’t really strange.
“Lindera.”
“You called?”
“If there’s a snack you want, let Midori know.”
“I don’t need anything, so there’s no need to contact her. Why don’t you take a break too, Commander?”
“Then… let’s relax for a bit until we hear from the 1st Squad.”
“Yes.”
Honestly speaking, I had been focused on the operation with my back straight for quite a while.
Though we weren’t directly participating on-site, we had to maintain concentration in various ways.
Checking the agents’ stamina and physical condition, and alerting if enemies appeared nearby.
Compared to the agents running around, we were lacking, but…
We had no choice but to stay focused.
And so, we decided to take it a bit easier.
“Commander, would you like me to make some coffee…?”
“No need. You should take a break too.”
“Making coffee isn’t that tiring…”
“It’s fine.”
“…….”
Well, I had no words to say to that.
I originally intended to drink coffee while making some for the commander.
But with him saying that, I hesitated to brew some.
*
-1st Squad, launching all members again!
“We have about half the way to the summit left, so let’s keep pushing!”
-We’ve already rested enough, so it’s probably unnecessary to worry.
“If something goes wrong, let me know immediately.”
-It’s only level 2 contamination, so there’s no need to worry that much.
-Agni! Don’t say that to the commander!
-…Got it.
It was noisy, but the operation began again.
Honestly, I felt like we had rested longer than expected, but it wasn’t an issue.
Since we started the operation a bit earlier, contamination wasn’t a big problem.
Anyway, the 1st Squad began walking toward the peak again.
Dealing with contaminated wild beasts encountered while hiking went smoothly, and especially, Agni performed better than I expected.
Guess a 5-star character really is a 5-star character?
“Hmm… No matter how I think about it, Agni seems particularly strong.”
“Of course, Agni gets paid the most on our ship!”
“….”
Well, that’s a fact.
It’s true Agni has the highest salary.
After all, he was a 5-star character.
When using a 5-star character in a game, it naturally required more resources than other characters.
That’s why players typically couldn’t flaunt high-ranking characters in the beginning.
Of course, after some time, it became easy to access high-ranking characters.
-Nyaa! They’re coming this way!!!
-Leviathan!
“Hmm…”
The commander was watching Agni’s combat scene carefully among the five agents.
He was the strongest agent, after all.
Plus, Agni wielding that massive flame sword… was undeniably flashy.
Moreover, he was just really good at combat, so it was hard not to keep an eye on him.
“I think we need to reassess Agni’s potential.”
“Excuse me?”
“It would be a shame to only deploy him for occasional missions. We should think about occasionally dispatching him to other branches.”
“Then, wouldn’t the combat capability of command drop significantly when Agni isn’t there?”
“While Agni is a good agent, he’s still just one agent. It wouldn’t be a huge loss.”
Hmm.
It is true that Agni is a valuable agent.
He’s skilled, and his looks are good too, so it’s natural for him to receive high praise.
Perhaps that’s why the commander is considering sending Agni to other branches for strategic placements.
Through such deployments, they could secure funding too.
“Personally… I recommend waiting a bit longer before considering that. We still have few agents on our ship.”
“Understood.”
-Commander! We will soon reach the summit!
“Confirm the core, and even if it takes time, destroy the core safely.”
-Understood!
“Lindera, what’s the situation around the 1st Squad on the mountain?”
“Contaminated entities are gradually approaching the 1st Squad. They must be aware they’re targeting the core.”
“Hmm…”
“The 1st Squad is still okay, but if too many contaminated entities approach, it could become dangerous.”
I was viewing from the ship, but it was evident that there were tons of contaminated wild beasts rushing towards us due to the critereum.
It was pretty clear they would meet the 1st Squad soon.
As I mentioned to the commander, if we continued like this, it could become risky.
Of course, it might be.
“Hmm…”
“Commander, there is a way for the ship to support in anticipation of that situation.”
I decided to share some helpful advice for the still inexperienced commander today as well.
After all, that was part of Lindera’s role.
The ship had many features beyond just flying in the sky.
If the ship only flew, honestly, it would really be useless, wouldn’t it?
“Here. If you push this button…”
“What happens if I press it?”
I moved right next to the commander, hovering over the button on the seat he was sitting in.
It really wasn’t complicated, just a very simple task.
“Oh, uh. I would appreciate it if the members of the 1st Squad could temporarily evacuate to one side.”
I snatched the microphone and announced to the 1st Squad.
What was about to happen… might be a bit dangerous, right?
The commander asked me what was happening, but showing him directly seemed a better idea.
-Tock.
“The main cannon is fired.”
And then… there was an enormous sound from below.
A very… loud sound.