Rune Troopers: Self-Defense Forces Adventure - Chapter 2: Argentavis (Part 1)

Flying with the wind, she loved it.

Beyond the gray glasses, the oceanic field was so azure that it seemed to absorb her.

One could feel the summer sea breeze from the Marysea. No matter what kind of devastation the world was going through, it seemed that summer would arrive anyway.

She – Lalona – brushed up her red hair as if it were hot blood.

People often make fun of her hair, saying that as a woman her hair was not even shoulder-length, but she liked it this way. Besides, if it were too long, it would get in the way when flying, when she was often buffeted by strong winds.

Even with such haphazard short hair that lacked any trace of femininity, she possessed a unique wild charm. 

However, in combination with her confident face, she seemed like a man from a distance.

Her eyes, which were as blue as the ocean below, were unclouded.

She checked her attire many times during the flight that she couldn’t help but notice. 

It was natural for a person who flew to drop things by accident, so it was natural that the checking process became a habit.

First of all, the short breastplate felt so light that one could forget they were wearing it. The role of the breastplate was almost ceremonial, for unit identification. 

In the center of the breastplate shone an emblem of the “Flying Light Armored Warrior Corps,” a bird silhouette with a spear and dagger crossed over it.

On her waist hung a dagger for close combat along with olive-colored shorts. She also wore dark blue knee socks to protect her feet from damage during long flights, but it was time to replace them.

“Ha!”

She maneuvered the reins with great enthusiasm. Although she had only just turned fifteen, her movements were familiar.

She was now flying in the clear sky on the back of a bird.

It was no ordinary bird, of course. With a huge wingspan comparable to that of a Dragon, the bird was called Argentavis.

A great bird that was used to carry people and flew with them.

It resembled a falcon in appearance and possessed a certain amount of intelligence befitting its great size.

A species that had been domesticated for military and commercial use all around the world, and was commonly referred to as a “giant bird”.

Even though Lalona was small in stature, it could carry a person and a set of travel equipment for a long flight, and even its speed was quite impressive.

Because they were inexpensive compared to Dragons, they were generally used for relatively minor missions such as a messenger or during reconnaissance. 

However, in some famous production areas where they were available in large numbers, specialized units were sometimes used in the military.

This was exactly the case with the unit to which Lalona belonged to.

The official name of the unit was the Flying Light Armored Warrior Corps from the Nation of Marysea located in the Southern Sea within the United Kingdom.

Her home country was a Confederacy of Islands scattered in the vicinity and a part of the Demeter Continent. She grew up in the mountains inland, but she loved the beauty of the sea. Therefore, the humble job of patrol duty did not bother her too much.

“Tail, that feels so good!”

She straddled the special saddle attached to the back of the giant bird and spoke to her “partner,” with whom she had been working ever since she joined the military.

With a high-pitched “cue,” the giant bird called Tail responded.

“Yes, yes, yes. I know so…” Lalona laughed with a cackle.

She could infer what the giant bird wanted to convey to some extent from its call and facial expression.

Thanks to her unusual ability, she had been selected as a bird rider in the Flying Light Armored Warriors.

Marysea was a maritime nation, but there existed a mountain range near its border on the Demeter Continent. 

As a mountaineer there, she grew up with birds. In the rugged mountainous region, giant birds had long been an important means of transportation and communication. 

Moreover, since she lost her family in a border conflict ten years ago, birds have been like family to her. 

From her point of view, it felt natural to be able to talk to her family.

She often used this ability to see if the new recruits to her unit were compatible with the birds they rode.

People around her were half-convinced of her abilities, but she herself was quite serious about it.

Her expression suddenly turned grim.

She sensed a change in the scent of the tide. Or, rather than the scent of the tide, it would be more accurate to say that the atmosphere of the place changed.

The air turned heavy and was clinging.

She checked the horizon and saw the foggy waters approaching.

“It is almost to the Sea of Mermaids, isn’t it?”

“We’ve flown a long way,” she muttered.

There, the fog never lifted.

This was where the last of the sea dwellers who escaped the fires of war during the “Great War of Succession” had settled.

It was not known exactly why they decided to live in this sea area. Research had not resulted in any progress either. The prevailing theory among researchers at the Royal Academy of Liberal Arts was that they were protecting their race by creating a closed environment.

After all, it was the area of the sea and a few people returned alive once they wandered into the fog. It was inevitable that research would not progress. 

There was even a bizarre theory circulating that there was a break in the world deep within that sea area.

However, she did not care about the truth of the sea area.

The Great Succession War was a myth, a story that dated back more than 1,000 years. She could only say that she had no control over a place of unknown details that had existed since that time.

What was more important, was her current mission.

Her current mission was to patrol the territorial waters.

She left the royal capital early in the morning and flew almost in a straight line. At the current time, which was just about noon, it was quite early to reach the Sea of Mermaids. 

It was probably because the summer wind was blowing strongly that enabled Tail to ride it. The speed and range of the giant birds depended on the weather, but today it seemed they were lucky.

This area of the sea had little traffic of ships and commercial giant birds due to the influence from the Sea of Mermaids. It was a place that could also be safely called a frontier.

However, because of its relative proximity to the Rouillet Continent on the other side of the sea, it was a militarily important area that could serve as an invasion route for the enemy.

The enemy – the country that, just two months earlier, had destroyed the Holy Prominian Empire, which was said to be the last bulwark for the Rouillet Continent. In just five years it had taken control over the continent and was now closing in on the Demeter continent.

The name of the Empire was ‘Filborg Succession Empire.’

The name ‘Filborg Succession’ was engraved on the name of the country to emphasize that they were the inheritors of the world.

Lalona stared intently at the other side of the river.

This was the former Prominia territory that had fallen into the hands of the Successor Empire.

Of course, there was no guarantee that an enemy fleet would appear from this direction.

Besides, the Successor Empire had suffered some damage in the war with Prominia. It would take time to rebuild their forces. Also, landing an army across the sea would require considerable preparation. 

Therefore, the Warrior Corps thought that there was no need to be so tense at this stage.

However, although Lalona was usually a sloppy person, she was serious about her mission.

She kept her eyes on the horizon.

She had good eyesight. A physical requirement for a giant bird rider, but she stood out among her companions.

“Nn……?”

She sensed a presence from the Sea of Mermaids.

Her instincts were often right, for better or worse, and she believed it herself.

Lalona tensed her body and sharpened her senses.

It was at that moment.

An unidentified rumbling sound echoed through the area.

So loud was the sound that she almost dropped the reins, but she held on just in time.

Then she noticed a “presence” emerging from the fog.

“What the hell is this?”

Lalona could not find the words to describe the “object” below her.

Something gray.

That was all she could make out.

“Could it be a ship of the …… Empire?”

Since it existed on the sea and was moving in a certain direction, it must be what was called a ship. 

However, she could not find any sails or anything like that, which a ship should have. Nevertheless, the object was moving fast like the wind on the sea, trailing a white wake.

Not only that, the object was too big. Even the huge trading transports that used the port of Marysea were not even half the size of this ship.

No matter how great a power the Succession Empire was, she had never heard of any ship, even one as large as this, that could move without sails. 

The Navy of the Succession Empire was based on a group of notorious pirates, but it was hard to believe that pirates would sail around in such a ship.

And that way?

Yes, the Sea of Mermaids, a place that once one entered could not leave.

A strange being came from there.

Lalona’s hair stood on end.

“Anyway, I have to gather information.”

She desperately tried to remain calm.

Her mission was patrolling. If there was anything unusual, the first priority was to find out as much as possible about it.

There were five ships, gray in color, angular all over, and not a soul in sight.

She strained her eyes to get a full picture of the object.

If it were a ship, there would always be sailors and others working on deck to operate the sails of the mast, but there were no such people to be seen. It was a strange ship in every way.

“Tail! Let’s get a little closer!”

She circled with her partner, then lowered altitude to try to get closer to the object.