Kanata and the others continued their hushed conversation, having successfully drawn Brigadier General Hinkley into their plan.
They had managed to bring the tough, military-minded Brigadier General Hinkley into the Shinonome faction. Had the Commander taken another step up the ladder of ambition now?
“Speaking of which, is it true about bringing Major Himnon into the Asura Unit? I don’t think he’ll be any use.”
Right. Major Himnon, while surely to be dismissed, was still part of the Hinkley Division.
“Is the Brigadier General against it?”
“Absolutely not. I’d be grateful if they’d take him. We don’t need a paper-knife on the battlefield.”
“My unit is full of sharp knives, so we’re short on paper-knives. I scouted him.”
It seemed my scouting of Major Himnon surprised the Brigadier General.
“General Sinanome praised Kenrou, saying he had potential…”
It seems I’m being overestimated in various quarters.
“That’s the Lieutenant General being too generous. But Major Himnon is too underestimated. He’s useful outside of the battlefield.”
“I believe soldiers are only useful on the battlefield. Putting aside Himnon, I heard it was Kenrou who uncovered the Grim Reaper’s true identity. Is that true?”
“It was a shaky bridge built on conjecture upon conjecture, but my unit has excellent reconnaissance personnel. Regarding the Grim Reaper, it was discovered to be an agent of Spec Company, yet there’s a gag order, isn’t there? Why?”
“The Grim Reaper suddenly launches surprise attacks on units deployed in the frontier, correct? And there’s no countermeasure for that. Since there’s no countermeasure, revealing the information would only instill fear in the units deployed in the frontier, that’s the judgment made. A typical line of thought for the idiots in higher command.”
Brigadier General Hinkley answered, his expression as if he were biting into both bitter herbs and walnuts.
“There’s also the calculation that if they don’t target strategic locations, they can be left alone. What do they think soldier’s lives are worth?”
“Those words sting the ears of a General.”
Marika-san sighed,
“It would be considerate to at least give orders to withdraw if an annihilation unit appears before units deployed in the frontier.”
“If that happens, they’ll bluff. Units calling themselves annihilation units might appear in large numbers in the frontier.”
“I see, that’s a high probability. What would you do, Kanata?”
“I would disclose to our friendly forces that the annihilation unit is an agent of Spec Company. Then, I would inform the units deployed in the frontier that we are forming units to deal with the annihilation unit and will intercept them. That information would likely leak to the Mechanist Army. I would observe the situation based on that.”
“However, we cannot afford to have multiple elite units lying in ambush to deal with an annihilation unit whose appearance and timing are unknown.”
Brigadier General Hinkley’s opinion was quite reasonable. I didn’t truly believe we could annihilate the annihilation unit either. My thoughts on this aligned with the Joint Operations Headquarters; it would come at too great a cost for the Alliance.
“Yes, that’s why it’s a bluff. The Grim Reaper is cunning and might see through the bluff, but what about the superiors at Spec Company who give orders to the Grim Reaper? They certainly won’t be able to operate as comfortably as before, will they? They’ll have no choice but to be cautious.”
“Kanata, you might be the best in the Alliance when it comes to devising cunning harassment tactics. Well, have a drink.”
Marika-san uncorked a new bottle of wine and poured it into my glass.
…Did she already finish one by herself? That’s too fast!
Brigadier General Hinkley nodded,
“I see. The strategy is to impose restrictions on the Grim Reaper’s actions by assuming information will leak. Even if they see through the bluff, they won’t be able to proceed with complete carelessness as before, considering the possibility that it might not be a bluff. I will propose this as an operational plan to the Joint Operations Headquarters.”
I slowly savored the wine Marika-san had poured and organized my thoughts.
“Furthermore, let’s deploy hidden cameras around the bases of frontier units that are likely to be targeted. If the annihilation unit discovers the hidden cameras, they might become wary of ambushes. If all goes well, we might even capture footage of the annihilation unit. In any case, I think the best approach is to shackle the annihilation unit as much as possible.”
“Understood. Even with all the imbeciles in the Joint Operations Headquarters, they shouldn’t begrudge the cost of cameras. Kenrou, you seem promising as a staff officer. Won’t you come to my division?”
“That’s a kind offer, but I’m fond of the Crystal Widow…”
Marika-san grinned slyly,
“Are you trying to poach a subordinate right in front of me? I won’t let you.”
“How about a trade with Himnon?”
“That’s not a fair trade. Regarding the Grim Reaper countermeasure, if you’re going that far, we should add a finishing touch. Let’s annihilate one of the Mechanist Army’s frontier units.”
“Scarlet Eye, what’s your intention behind that?”
…Ah, I see! That’s a good idea.
“Brigadier General, it’s to lend credibility to the bluff that a unit capable of killing annihilation units has been formed. If we annihilate an enemy unit in the frontier just once, the bluff will gain more weight. The higher-ups at Spec Company are merchants, not soldiers. It will surely sow seeds of doubt.”
“How do we make them realize it’s a ‘Grim Reaper killer’ unit? An announcement from the Joint Operations Headquarters would be too contrived.”
“We can annihilate an enemy unit and leave a message for the Grim Reaper. A message written to look like graffiti by soldiers, saying ‘We’re waiting, Grim Reaper.’ Since the Grim Reaper is expected to see through it, that level of contrivance is acceptable. The ones we want to hook are the ones giving orders to the Grim Reaper.”
“Hmm, not bad. But who will carry it out? If it’s just about annihilating the enemy, anyone strong enough could do it, but if we can’t let them contact other bases, speed is also required. We have to admit the Grim Reaper’s excellence in accomplishing both. At least, there’s no unit in my division that could do that.”
I glance at Marika-san. …I knew she’d say that.
“Us. The Crystal Widow will feign being the mythical annihilation unit killer. If the Grim Reaper can do it, there’s no reason we can’t.”
That’s right, our specialty is blitzkrieg. We’re a battalion primarily composed of assault ninjas.
“If it’s the Crystal Widow, you can annihilate a frontier unit without letting them contact others. Will you do it?”
“If Iska agrees… Kanata, are you prepared for what happens then?”
…If the feigned operation is carried out, we’ll have to annihilate every last enemy soldier in the frontier unit. In that case, my Wolf Eye, suited for mass slaughter, will come into play. Marika-san is asking if I’m prepared for mass slaughter.
“…I can do it. The unit that falls prey to the spider’s venom is to be pitied, but this is war.”
“Alright, I’ll consult Iska tomorrow. The operation won’t happen immediately, though. The spiders are currently on vacation in the Izuruha Islands. It seems like it will be Kanata’s first operation after being promoted to officer.”
It’s a short, swift operation. The Commander might deem it suitable as a mission to insert before the large-scale counteroffensive operation “Breakstorm” is launched. It seems wise to assume this operation will proceed.
“That means I’ll have to avoid ending up in a Medical Pod from a duel with the Woman of Absolute Zero.”
“You can handle that, Kanata.”
I’m confident I can win, but I can’t come back unscathed. She lives up to her boasts; her skill is considerable.
“The Woman of Absolute Zero? Are you referring to Shion Ignatiff?”
“Brigadier General, do you know that insolent blonde Amazon?”
“…Yes. I was in the same unit with Lavrov Ignatiff, who was called ‘Tsar,’ when I was young. He was my comrade-in-arms.”
Shion’s father was a comrade-in-arms of the ‘Indomitable’ Hinkley.
“Brigadier General, could you do me one favor? Kanata and Absolute Zero (Shion) have agreed to a serious match after completing their Officer Curriculum. We need an arbiter. I could do it, but the elders in my village are clamoring to see my face, so I have to return to the City of Blazing Flames once. I’d like one of your subordinates, someone reasonably skilled, to act as a witness.”
“I will be the witness. I’ll also prepare the venue for the match.”
Brigadier General Hinkley’s face darkened. Did he know something about Shion’s circumstances?
“I don’t think a Brigadier General needs to get involved in a dispute between youngsters, but is there something going on?”
“…Yes, a little. Besides, a serious match between Kenrou and Absolute Zero is something I can’t miss. The reason I’m willing to risk my life to fight is because I must bridge the gap to the next generation. To the next generation like Kenrou and Absolute Zero.”
“Both Shion and I are still immature. We’re not grand enough to offend your eyes, Brigadier General.”
“Hey, Kenrou. Twenty years ago, when this war began, I was an reckless and immature recruit. Why do you think I’m still alive?”
“Isn’t it because the Brigadier General had talent?”
“I’m not saying I didn’t have talent. Luck probably played a part too… But the reason I’ve survived this long is because veteran soldiers with more experience helped me. They risked their lives to train me, an immature recruit, and taught me how to survive. That’s why I am who I am today. Just as they did for me, it’s now my turn to do the same.”
Brigadier General Hinkley’s words carried the weight that only veteran soldiers who have survived fierce battles possess.
“…Kanata, accept this kindness. The blonde girl won’t have any objections if the Brigadier General is the witness.”
Marika-san must have felt that weight too. Her tone was more serious than usual.
“Then, thank you for being the witness for our match… Brigadier General, thank you.”
“Leave it to me. …I wish you would show me, the potential of the next generation.”
“I will do my best to meet your expectations.”
I don’t want to win by cunning tactics like in our first match. No, I can’t.
Three weeks left until the end of the Curriculum.
I want to win against Shion with a technique from the Mugen Ittouryu. I should, and I want to.
If I had to choose between a dog or a cat, I’d be a dog person.
