Rune Troopers: Self-Defense Forces Adventure - Chapter 2: Argentavis (Part 9)

Chapter 2: Argentavis (Part 9)

The castle guards gathered in the courtyard were first startled by the strange object and then frightened by the fierce wind that rolled in.

When the Argentavis descended, a gust of wind would blow but it was not as violent as the one being raised by the strange object.

“What a monster!”

“T-Captain? Didn’t they say that pirates are coming?”

“What is that? A bird…no, an insect?”

Something unidentified was approaching the Castle. That was the only information they were provided.

For the time being, they were ordered not to attack in absence of any hostile intent, but even this gust of wind seemed to them as a sign of hostility.

Four strange insects, or rather, beings that could not even be considered living creatures, descended with a roaring noise onto the courtyard where beautiful flowers were in full bloom.

The strong wind gradually subsided as the guards looked at each other.

Since Her Majesty the Queen had ordered them to bring that thing here, they couldn’t turn it away.

There was silence due to confusion. Then, this time, the leader of the Flying Light-Armored Warrior Corps, together with her squad, made a forced landing in the courtyard.

Normally, they would have had to land on the bird platform facing the sea in the Castle, but it seemed that they were forced to land here because of the urgency of the situation.

The guards again screamed as more than ten birds flew in rapidly.

“Any movement on their part?”

A woman with grass-colored hair and a black cloak landed on the ground. The Captain of the Guards, who recognized her as Carda, gave her a reproachful look for her reckless landing but reported back in a dignified manner.

“There has been no movement. We don’t even know what the creature is in the first place…”

As the Captain of the Guards spoke, the belly of the strange creature opened with a rattle. The soldiers tensed up.

“A person from the belly of the monster?” One of the Guards muttered in dismay.

“…Apparently, it was a vehicle,” he added.

Carda had noticed that people were riding in that strange insect-like thing in the sky. And that they were wearing strange clothes she had never seen before.

‘That’s the man I saw from the sky…” Carda picked up her spear.

Out came a young man wearing the same strange mottled clothing just like the strange object.

Next, a man dressed in white with glasses emerged from the white-colored vehicle. At first glance, neither of the two men had anything that looked like a weapon in their hands.

There seemed to be more people inside the object, but they were only gazing anxiously at the two who got off first.

(They have no intention of fighting?) Carda had a feeling.

But she hurriedly shook that thought from her head knowing that on the battlefield one wrong move could be fatal.

“Stop!” Carda stopped them as they walked carelessly toward her.

“What? Was that Japanese?”

“Don’t be alarmed! We have no hostile intentions!” The one in white with glasses answered.

It was a very fluent common language of the four seas and land without an accent.

“Identify yourself!”

The two men looked at each other in response to Carda’s sharp voice, then nodded somewhat in agreement.

“Vice-Admiral Kato, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.”

“Likewise, 3rd Lieutenant Kuze of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.”

The two men made a motion of holding their palms above their foreheads with a serious expression on their faces.

“Japan?” 

Carda tilted her head at the word she had never heard of. She had never heard of a country like Japan. Nor did she have any idea who they were with their dark hair and brown eyes. She had no idea that such an object could be controlled by such a being.

The existence of such a bizarre object, which even a child would not have thought of, aroused the soldiers’ suspicions.

“Master Carda! These guys must belong to the Imperial Army’s Dark Demon Corps! Don’t be fooled!”

Carda was inclined to agree with his men.

In the Filborg Succession Empire, there existed a special task force called the Dark Demon Corps, which was made up of selected assassins with special abilities from the nations and tribes under its control. They were said to be able to manipulate unseen wicked methods and magical weapons sealed away since ancient times.

That was all Carda could think of. However, she was uncomfortable with such an assertion. Their atmosphere did not seem to be that of the outrageous warriors from the Empire.

One was a bespectacled, harmless-looking man. The other was young but somewhat unreliable.

Both men appeared to be reasonably well-trained, and their tone and movements were typical of those in the military. But something was amiss.

Yes, there existed no murderous intent or even a lack of openings. Perhaps if she were to challenge them with a spear, she would be able to pierce their hearts within a few seconds. Cards was even convinced of that.

“I don’t know what this Imperial Army or whatever it is, but at least we don’t belong to or have anything to do with such an organization.”

The two men, perhaps impatient with the worsening atmosphere here, were frantically trying to explain.

“…Then, state your purpose in coming to this Nation?”

She asked them as the Commander of the place. They looked at each other.

It seemed suspicious, but it wasn’t an attempt to be glib; they seemed genuinely at a loss for an explanation.

“It’s a long story, I really don’t know how to explain…” The bespectacled man, who introduced himself as Kato, chuckled.

A young man in green and brown speckled clothes looked at him with a puzzled expression.

I knew these guys were suspicious. At the very least, they should not be allowed in the presence of Her Majesty…

“Well, that’s interesting! Let’s hear what you have to say inside.”

Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind her. Carda was so surprised that she let go of the two people in front of her and turned around.

“Heh, Your Majesty?”

Carda’s voice was inverted. She was so surprised that it was hard to imagine her normal calmness. The guards also fell prostrate.

The two men just rolled their eyes, as if they had no idea what had just happened.

Queen Hamiea, surrounded by her attendants and the Imperial Guards, smiled meaningfully as she slipped past Carda, and stood in front of them.

“I am Hamiea. The King of this Nation.” 

“King?”

The two looked down at the small Hamiea in amazement, then looked at each other with a slight hesitation.

This girl was a King? They had such a look on their faces.

“Oh, do you mean a King?”

“Yes, it seems so.”

“A King, I have to salute you… No, according to the service regulations, I must provide a Tribute to Guns for a foreign Head of State…Oh! I didn’t bring my gun…”

Hamiea narrowed her eyes at those two before she was smiling high in the air and turned to Carda.

“I’m sure you’re not from the Imperial Army. How about you, Carda?”

“Ha, ha, that may be so…”

Cards, too, could not disagree. 

“In the first place, they mean no harm even when I am standing here in front of them, unprotected. At least, they don’t seem like the enemy.”

Kato agreed with the girl.

“Yes, I can assure you of that. Your Majesty, it is an honor to meet you.”

“Well, that makes things easy.” Laughing innocently, Hamiea clapped her hands.

“All of you, we have a guest. Prepare a banquet.”

The two men could see that things were proceeding very smoothly, but they knew it was going somewhat too fast.