The Dawn of the Nation-Formation War Era Part 2
「We expect you to run the Mercenary Association Headquarters properly.」
「And beyond that? We understand that reorganizing the Headquarters is a condition for clearly acknowledging our property rights. But there must be something more—your true intentions.」
Raimund wanted to cut straight to the point. Were they expecting him to lead a suicide mission against the Stones? Or was there some other objective in play?
The young man leaning against the wall finally spoke.
「The Mercenary Association has always dispatched mercenaries to Stones-controlled territories in exchange for money. That in itself isn’t an issue. If it were, Okeanos would have intervened long ago.」
Raimund’s gaze narrowed.
「And you are…? Are you Outis?」
The young man tilted his head slightly.
「Hmm? No, I’m Kou. Just a pilot. I was the one who fought the Aratron during the first skirmish.」
「Fought…? Wait. You’re one of the pilots from back then? The one who defeated the Aratron?!」
「That’s right.」
Both the man before him and Outis were exceptional pilots. And if this man had taken down the Aratron, then he was clearly a high-ranking figure in Metal Iris.
At that moment, Raimund was certain—this man was Outis.
The entire conflict had begun because Metal Iris had refused to hand him over. And in the end, they had even casually transferred a full billion Mina just to resolve the situation.
But Kou dismissed the thought entirely.
「That doesn’t matter. When the Murders attacked your main base, you abandoned Fortress Area A001 and the Orbital Elevator, leaving their defense to lower-tier Underground Forces. Meanwhile, you took the Gorgias, the ship functioning as Headquarters, and fled with your entire fleet.」
Raimund’s expression hardened.
「What exactly are you trying to say?」
Kou gave a faint smile. From the gap in his bangs, a chillingly cold gaze slipped through.
「No need to get so agitated. I’m just confirming the facts. After that, you must have taken refuge in some undersea Defense Dome, hidden deep in the ocean or a trench. Maybe it was a remaining Fortress Area colony.」
「That’s right.」
Sans interjected. There was no point in lying—it wouldn’t change anything. And if they were asked where they had been, the only possible answer was underwater.
「In other words, you must have received updates about the Asia War as it unfolded. Even if you weren’t interested, you still had access to news broadcasts from planet-wide transmissions and reports from mercenaries affiliated with Headquarters. Now, let’s get to the real point.」
Kou locked eyes with the members of Roche Phalanx.
「You had no food. No supplies. Eventually, you would have run out. Sure, if all you needed was basic nutrients, you could gnaw on rations. But let’s be honest—no one can survive their entire life on those things alone.」
Sans let out a deep sigh.
「You’re absolutely right. But you wouldn’t understand the sheer suffocation of being trapped beneath the ocean.」
Robin’s voice interjected at that moment.
「I assure you, we understand. When the Mercenary Association Headquarters abandoned us, the survivors of General Arms who escaped the A051 Fortress Area attack were forced to hide in a Defense Dome, too. And trust me, it wasn’t large enough to accommodate all of us.」
his voice trembled with barely contained anger. Raimund and Sans averted their gazes, looking visibly uncomfortable.
The Mercenary Association Headquarters had been stationed at A001 Fortress Area, the closest stronghold to A051. And yet, they had abandoned it.
Many from John Arms Corporation and its affiliate, General Defense Corporation, had managed to escape and take refuge in an undersea Defense Dome. They had no trust in the Mercenary Association Headquarters, and apart from BAS Corporation, they had not disclosed their location to anyone.
For Robin, his presence in this meeting was the perfect opportunity to file a protest, and his main objective as well.
「I’ve lived off rations too. Asia is a vast place. I can easily imagine what life outside the colony settlements is like.」
Some rations had a jelly-like consistency, with at least some sweetness to make them tolerable. Others had no flavor at all, existing purely as a biofuel meant to keep people alive—nothing more, nothing less.
Kou’s voice remained calm and composed.
「In short, when you decided to run, you did it knowing full well that you would need to raid an outpost somewhere to have any possibility of rebuilding. Sooner or later you would have attacked Another place if you didn’t find us.」
「That’s exactly right. And the Mercenary Association Headquarters determined that the Silhouette Base was the best option to take over as our new base.」
「Even though you didn’t even know its exact location? If you failed, you’d have no supply lines left. That would’ve been the end of you.」
Kou let out a dry laugh.
Even now, neither the Stones nor the Mercenary Association Headquarters had pinpointed the precise location of Silhouette Base.
Sans sighed.
「Your assessment is correct. Even if the fighting were to end right now, we wouldn’t have the means to resupply. So tell me—what exactly are you trying to say?」
Kou’s gaze sharpened.
「Trireme is simply ordering you to correct your course.」
「Correct our course?」
「If you were going to launch an invasion, it should have been against Sphene Continent and Pyrochlore Continent—not P336 Fortress Area or Scheelite Continent, where Silhouette Base is located.」
「…That’s—」
Kou cut them off, his tone unwavering.
「As you well know, every faction there is a tangled mess. How you go about securing territory is up to you. With your firepower, taking over a Fortress Area or two should be no problem. We’ve got our hands full over here—so handle it yourselves. If necessary, gather the scattered personnel from Headquarters.」
「You expect us to do this without any support?」
「We fought without any support. Against the Argoforce, no less. And now you’re telling me that Roche Phalanx, the Underground Force rumored to be the strongest on Planet Asia, with a fleet of spaceships at its disposal, can’t do the same?」
His words carried an undeniable force. There was no room for argument. The Roche Phalanx members had no doubt now—this man was Outis.
「Establish a base. Secure a supply chain, levy taxes, whatever you need to do. Build an administrative foundation. It’s not necessary to limit your invasion targets to the Stones alone. You’ve done business with the Stones before, after all. Right now, the Fortress Areas and Defense Domes there are in chaos. Take your pick.」
「Sphene Continent and Pyrochlore Continent… These two will become even more unstable.」
「This is the inevitable result of the previous Mercenary Association Headquarters’ actions. Once you ran away, everything became set in stone. Blame it on the old administration if you want. The new Mercenary Association Headquarters won’t be held accountable. The compensation we’re demanding is strictly for the participation of your Underground Forces in this battle.」
「So we’re receiving pardon for at least one of our crimes.」
It was clear—Roche Phalanx and the Mercenary Association Headquarters were inseparable. If Trireme wanted, they could hold them accountable for abandoning their defense obligations.
Especially for this young man, who had direct access to Okeanos. But despite his leverage, he wasn’t pressing them into a corner.
「With all the chaos, the Argoforce has also secured the right to create its own administrative organization. Now, we have three factions—Trireme, a force dedicated to protecting Asia; the Argoforce, and its association for the humans who side with the Stones; and the Mercenary Association Headquarters, standing as either a neutral entity or one maintaining ties with both sides. Smaller subgroups will form under each of them.」
「Of course, all of this means nothing if humanity is wiped out. So while we’ll let you run your operations, don’t forget—we will be keeping a firm grip on the reins. Do your best to play your cards right.」
Kou laid out the future political landscape, while Barry drove the point home with a warning.
Raimund and Sans’s expressions hardened.
「But our forces have suffered heavy losses in this battle—」
「And what do you have mercenaries and funding for? You have the money—so hire them. Hoarding resources is no longer an option. Both manpower and supplies are constantly circulating, fueled by war. You’re the ones falling behind the times.」
Robin added with a nod.
「Corporations need to be utilized more effectively. You’ve seen it firsthand, haven’t you? Even in localized skirmishes, the specialized units can rival—no, in certain highly specialized functions, they can even surpass the Interplanetary War era’s weapons. Raimund, of all people, you should understand that best.」
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