Mob #50 “Well, leave the flashy aerial combat to the flashy folks. Our job is just the mundane task of providing air support for ground forces.”
As I continued to be terrified by the completion of Rossweisse’s body, it was finally my turn to receive permission to descend to the surface.
My ship, the [Patchwork], was an old model. Though I made various modifications, it was fundamentally a versatile type that could be used both in space and on the ground, with interchangeable weaponry.
This time, what I requested when taking the job was an air support mission for ground forces.
The reason being that I planned to equip two small air-to-ground missile pods, called [Throwing Nuts], which could be abundantly replenished in Count Ikorai’s territory.
The power was decent, and being small-sized meant each pod had a capacity of nine missiles.
They were named so because the size of the missiles was smaller than other air-to-ground missiles.
While they could be used in space, hitting targets would be challenging.
They were mass-produced and adopted as auxiliary armaments for patrol aircraft and bombers in planetary atmospheres.
In other words, they were used for patrol aircraft guarding Tridium ore mines or energy plant security, resulting in ample reserve ammunition.
Apart from providing air support for ground forces, there was also a mission to eliminate enemy air squadrons, but with Rossweisse around, that wasn’t necessary.
Well, even if Rossweisse wasn’t here, I wouldn’t have taken the mission to eliminate enemy air squadrons. I didn’t want to stand out.
[“Patchwork,” initiate descent. Ensure you don’t mistake the landing point.]
“Understood.”
Long ago, atmospheric entry was said to be a significant challenge, but now, all ships, regardless of size, were made of materials that didn’t require worrying about aerodynamic heating caused by the heat wall. So, landing on a planet’s surface was straightforward.
However, caution was still required during atmospheric entry.
While the heat wall was fine, the ability to move? became difficult due to unresolved factors.
If something were to happen at this moment, it would truly be beyond my control.
After safely breaking through the atmosphere, what came into view was a vast expanse of brown, a wilderness of sand and rocks.
Touching down on the surface without making a mistake in the landing point, I saw a considerable number of tanks, armored vehicles, and combat aircraft for atmospheric use crowding the area.
Once I positioned my ship in the designated spot, several maintenance personnel approached immediately.
“Any changes to the requested armaments?”
While the person who seemed to be the leader questioned me, his subordinates started refueling and inspections.
“No. Please equip two [Throwing Nuts] small air-to-ground missile pods as requested.”
“Got it. We’ll hold onto the proton torpedoes hanging there for you.”
“Thank you.”
As I replied, two [Throwing Nuts] pods were promptly brought over, and the replacement was completed in no time.
The maintenance crew here seemed to be quite competent.
Submitting a request in advance turned out to be the right move.
After that, I went to the tent where the mercenaries were lined up, and they checked me over.
Around there, tents were being rented for accommodation, makeshift shower tents were lined up, and there were setups for cooking meals.
Additionally, numerous street vendors were lined up, creating a market-like atmosphere.
As I absentmindedly observed the scene,
“Hey! You’re here too!”
“Oof!”
My back was slapped hard.
Despite enduring the pain, when I turned around, it was Morize Rotlwa, whom I had worked with before as a guard for Neima Trading Company.
“Oh… long time no see…”
Rough, with a habit of slacking off and teasing people, she had a bad reputation. Still, she was a beautiful and tall woman with a muscular but well-proportioned physique, making her quite popular.
Although it would be rude to say, I didn’t want to get too close to her.
Of course, she didn’t care about such things and said,
“I saw Arthur and the others over there. Honestly, it’s better to deal with opponents we can easily beat within our group, rather than the petty harassment between nobles who sometimes split during fights!”
She joyfully slapped my shoulder.
“Well… yeah… if Arthur and the others are here, it’s reassuring.”
As I endured the pain,
“And on top of that, there’s the leopard and the helmet. There’s even [Lacerta Demon] and [Crimson Goddess]. I’m starting to feel sorry for the terrorists.”
someone else interrupted our conversation.
It was Bernard Zag, a former police officer who, like Morize, had worked as a guard for Neima Trading Company.
In his hand, he held skewers and canned beer he seemed to have bought from a street vendor.
Although the operation was scheduled to start tomorrow morning, is it okay to drink from early afternoon?
Well, maybe because it’s afternoon.
“Is that really true? If so, our victory is guaranteed!”
Morize happily reacted to the information from Bernard.
“Even so, don’t let your guard down.”
“Of course!”
Although Bernard warned us, it lacked conviction with a beer can and skewer in his hand.
But if the current information is true, it was the right decision not to take on the mission to eliminate the enemy air squadron.
During the descent, I spotted a media ship, so there’s probably a crew wandering around their vicinity for coverage.
“Well, leave the flashy aerial battles to the flashy guys. We’ll just do the mundane job of providing air support for the ground forces.”
Saying that, Bernard took a bite of the skewer.
Well, regardless of flashy or mundane, it’s all important work, isn’t it?
Well, it’s just light banter with understanding, so there’s no issue.
After finishing the conversation with the two, I decided to head back to my ship after buying some bread and hearty soup from the food stall, along with some skewers and fruit. On the way, I spotted Yuri-kun, also known as Hero Boy,
but luckily he didn’t notice me, so I managed to avoid him without saying a word.
However, when I returned to my ship, something outrageous was happening.
It wasn’t that my ship was damaged or anything like that.
It was because a group of mercenaries, who seemed like typical extroverts, were having a barbecue right next to my ship.
The barbecue itself wasn’t a big deal;
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similar things were happening all over.
The problem was that their luggage was blocking the entrance to my ship.
Technically, I had the right to ask them to move their stuff, but I doubted they would comply willingly.
However, I couldn’t sleep without returning to my ship.
So, I had no choice but to pass the time until their barbecue was over.
I went to check out the tent nearby and gathered some useful information about the area that might become a battlefield: maps, locations of buildings and facilities, weather changes, and even some fragmented information about the terrorists and the details of the energy plant we were aiming to retake.
For now, I’m borrowing a large terminal to download the surrounding maps onto my wrist-mounted device.
In the midst of this, the surroundings suddenly became noisy.
When I looked in that direction, I saw Fialka.
She was smiling cheerfully, effortlessly handling the people around her.
Being such a beauty, she must be quite popular among various people.
Just as I was thinking that,
“Hello, Sir Uzoss. It’s been a while since the other day.”
“Ah… Hello…”
It was Sherry, Fialka’s maid android, who approached me.
“Your pre-mission information gathering is truly remarkable.”
“Oh, no… I was just killing time here because the entrance to my ship was blocked by people’s luggage nearby.”
I didn’t bother to hide the truth and just stated it as it was.
“It’s just my guess, but… weren’t you planning to do the same thing on the terminal once you got back to the ship?”
Shelly’s gesture of pointing it out seemed very human-like.
Of course, today’s AI is at a level indistinguishable from humans, but the ones that have just been activated still have a sense of artificiality somewhere. However, over time, through AI learning, that artificial feeling disappears. Shelly was probably like that too, but she still felt oddly human.
“Well… yeah… I suppose… since I have nothing to do.”
“It’s better for you to investigate on your own. Miss always leaves everything to me. That’s why I was brought here today.”
She sighed as if frustrated.
Her head had smooth metal plates resembling hair, and apart from the lens-shaped eyes, her face was human-like, with an opening mouth and changing expressions.
But she didn’t breathe.
She seemed to be sighing.
That’s probably why she’s been useful to Fialka for so long.
“Oh, come on! You’re so persistent!”
Fialka, looking exasperated, arrived.
“Thank you for your service, Miss.”
“I’m not being released from prison, so cut it out. Well, in a way, it’s like being freed from hell.”
She seemed to be smiling as she dealt with it, but she must have found it troublesome.
“Oh, you’re here in such a place, which is unusual for you.”
“Oh… thank you…”
Fialka noticed me, but she spoke to me more softly than before.
Previously, she would have said something like, “Why is a wimp like you here!?” It must be because I helped her.
It’s just nice that she’s softened a bit.
Well, because of that, I’m getting really intense glares from the people were talking to Fialka earlier.
“Unlike Miss, Sir Uzoss actively gathers information on his own. Miss, you should learn from him.”
“But even so, I can gather information without coming here, right?”
“Here, you might get information from locals that you wouldn’t find in cyberspace, right? Come on, Miss, let’s investigate on our own.”
“Y-yes…”
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scene transition
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Reluctantly, she approached a soldier who seemed knowledgeable about the area.
Watching their interaction, it looked more like a parent-child or sisterly relationship than master and servant.
Sherry smiled fondly as she watched Fialka talking to the local soldiers.
Five hours had passed since I started gathering information.
Enduring searches on a large terminal while being close to Fialka, as well as inquiries from locals, I finally made it back to where my ship was parked. The belongings of the extroverts had collapsed, making it easier to get inside.
And since they were all passed out drunk, now was the time to return to the ship.
Carefully avoiding the scattered luggage, I managed to get inside.
I breathed a sigh of relief, locked the door securely, took a shower, changed clothes, and then collapsed onto the makeshift bed.
I couldn’t help but think how fortunate I was to have a combat ship with a small but functional shower, bed, toilet, microwave, and refrigerator space. Setting my alarm, I lay in bed reading a light novel until I drifted off to sleep.
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it’s not much like the aerial combat but it’s honest work