*Saffron*
Once we reached the shore, I helped Koyuki get her father down from the ship.
“Thank the gods!” Milo said as he and a group of medics ran up to us.
I had him get some medics, anticipating this scenario.
What I failed to predict was that the badly hurt one would been Griff.
I’d expected Gael if anyone.
“Gael, did you freeze him?” a medic asked as they lifted Griff onto a stretcher.
My teammate nodded his head, his expression unusually serious.
“Yeah, his body was starting to go cold, so I froze him to preserve him.”
The medic nodded and put a hand on his back.
“We’ll get him to the hospital immediately.”
“Right,” another medic said, helping him carry the stretcher.
Koyuki took a deep breath, holding her hands close to her bossom.
Steeling herself, she followed them.
“Koyu,” Milo said, furrowing his brow.
I glanced at Gael.
“Go with them and get yourself treated too.
We’ll meet you later.”
My cousin-in-law nodded and hurried after the medics.
“What happened?” Milo asked, turning toward me.
I looked toward the lake.
“According to Gael, they fought a djinn.
The two of them are lucky to be alive,” I said, eyeing the waves.The storm had dissipated, leaving a rainbow over the distant horizon.
But the waves remained chaotic.
Milo sighed, his shoulders slumping.
“They should’ve been more careful.
Djinn are not something to take lightly.”
My heart felt heavy in my chest, but now wasn’t the time to falter.
“Yeah, no kidding.”
My cousin crossed his arms.
“So, what now, Cuz?
Plan A and B have been dashed.”
I took a step toward him.
“Time for a plan C.
I’ll meet with Lieutenant Uneri and the Major to iron things out.
In the meantime, stay out of trouble.”
He huffed.
“I’m not Gael!”
I snickered a little.
“Alright.
I’ll trust ya.”
Turning around, I headed toward the base camp.
We had a lot of planning to do.
At this point, I feared we might have little option but to go to war.
But I prayed that it wouldn’t come to that.
War at any point would be devastating, but more so now.
Kuroriku didn’t have the manpower it used to a generation ago.
“Things went as expected, didn’t they?” Major Kisara said, sighing as she looked at me from the corner of the building.
I sighed.
“They could’ve been worse.”
She nodded.
“We’re at a standstill after learning that flirt is the second prince.
At this point, a special operation might need to be conducted, if not a full-fledge war.”
“A special operation?” I asked, crossing my arms.
She nodded and looked up at the clearing sky.
“To raid the raiders’ base.
Gael and Griff both know where it is.”
“You sure?
I can’t imagine Gael wanting to go back there so soon.”
She shrugged.
“He can stay if he wishes, we just need the location.
However, our chances of success would be higher if he were to accompany us.”
I sighed.
“And you’re okay with that?
With him staying, I mean.”
She shrugged again.
“It’s his choice.
If he wants to return home to lick his wounds, he can.
We can’t force him in the state he’s in.
The same goes for the rest of the crew.
I will not pressure anyone into a decision that they might regret later.”
I nodded.
“It might come down to only Uneri and me.”
The Major laughed.
“I’m going too, so don’t underestimate me, Captain.
Besides, we have a secret weapon.”
“Secret weapon?”
She grinned.
“You’ll see, just be patient.”
I sighed.
She was going to keep me guessing.
“Alright, I trust your judgment.”
“Good.
Now, let’s go plan this op.”
I nodded and followed her inside the building.
We took the elevator to the meeting room where we had first gathered.
Uneri awaited us.
In front of him were several papers.
Had he been doing paper work to pass the time?
He looked up and gave us a worried smile.
“Everything go well?”
“Gael and Griff got hurt.
The latter almost died,” I responded.
His thin smile turned into a frown.
“Did they face the prince?”
I shook my head as I took a seat next to him.
“No, they fought his right hand man.
A boy with a djinn.”
Uneri sighed.
“We’re going from bad to worse.”
“Don’t worry.
I’ll get us out of this slump,” Major Kisara said as she picked up a phone hanging on the wall opposite of Uneri and me.
“Attention, everyone!
We have a very important task ahead of us.
I need only the most capable of you anchovies.
If you think you fit the bill, come to the meeting room.
Captain Saffron, Lieutenant Uneri, and I await you.” She hung up the phone and looked at us.
“That should bring them in.”
I put my hands together.
“Think this will work?
Didn’t you summon us from Momotaro as you were understaffed here?”
She nodded.
“We are short on manpower, but there are a few bottom of the barrel anchovies who have shown their worth in combat. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
Some as capable as Private Milo, but with more self discipline.
Plus, the ones who don’t want to participate can stay behind and hold the fort.”
Uneri sighed.
“Are you sure we’ll succeed with a small team?
“Yes, because we have a secret weapon.”
“That you still won’t tell me about.”
She hadn’t told him either?
“Patience, Lt.
Uneri.
Patience.
Just know that it will change the tide of the battle.”
I glanced at Uneri.
His expression remained calm, but I could tell he was anxious.
“Anyway, it’s time to discuss the mission.”
Uneri and I nodded.
“The plan is simple.
We raid the raider’s base and aim to capture their prince and other members.
If capture isn’t an option, then we kill them.”
“That’s simple indeed,” Uneri said, nodding.
“Maybe a little too simple.
We need a layout of their base, and I’m not sure Gael and Griff have that kind of information,” I said.
“They will have it,” the Major said.
“If not, then we’ll figure it out as we go.”
“What if the prince isn’t there?” Uneri asked.
“He could be at the palace.”
She smirked.
“That would make things easier.
Our objective is to destroy the raiders as an organization.
Whether that comes in the form of capturing their leader or taking down their base, it doesn’t matter.
Either way, they will cease to exist.”
“Assuming the prince doesn’t just recreate it,” I said.
“He won’t be able to.
We will make sure of that,” the Major said, smiling.
Uneri and I blinked.
She was confident as ever.
The doors swung open and a bunch of Privates walked in.
Some of them were familiar, others not.
“Alright, gather around and listen up!” the Major said, putting her hands on her hips.
“We are going to launch a full-scale attack on the raider’s base, and we need all of you to pull your weight.”
“Yes, Ma’am!” they replied, saluting her.
“I will be leading the operation, with the help of some a few others from Momotaro,” she said, glancing at me.
“We will be in your care,” I replied, nodding.
She smiled and turned back to the group.
“We are going to be a small team, so we’ll need to be fast and efficient.
The original task force is down a member, leaving them with five, maybe four members.
I’ll like at least three of you to join us.”
One of the Privates raised his hand.
“I volunteer, Ma’am.
It would be an honor.”
She nodded.
“Anyone else?”
Another Private stepped forward.
“Yes, I’d like to volunteer, Ma’am.”
The third Private stayed where he was, looking unsure.
“Alright, you two are in,” she said, pointing at the two who volunteered.
“No one else?
You all came here thinking yourselves capable, did you not?”
The remaining Privates lowered their heads.
She nodded.
“Very well.
The two who volunteered will accompany Lt.
Uneri and me,” I said.
“Everyone else, guard the base.
The last position is still open in case anyone changes their mind.”
The remaining Privates nodded and saluted her before leaving the room.
“Well, that didn’t go as planned,” the Major said, frowning.
“It’s alright.
We have enough to deal with the raiders,” I said.
I stared at the two new members.
“I’m Captain Saffron, from Momotaro.”
“Private Rohan, Sir,” the first one said.
He had a short black ponytail and dark skin.
“Private Jiro, Sir,” the second one said.
She was slender and tall.
“Good to meet you both.
The other members of our team are Lieutenants Gael, Koyuki, and Griff, although the latter might not be participating.
And we also have a private of our own.
His name is Milo.
I’m sure you’ll all get along.”
Rohan nodded.
“Looking forward to working with everyone.”
Jiro smiled slightly.
“Same.”
“What skills do you have?” I asked.
“I use a crossbow,” Jiro said.
“My eyesight is rather keen.”
“And you?”
“I’m good at sneaking around and I use knives,” Rohan said.
“Well, it’s good to have a range of talents,” I said, nodding.
“When do we leave, Ma’am?” they asked, glancing at the Major.
“We will wait for Gael to recover.
But once he does, we will set out immediately,” she replied.
They nodded and stepped back.
I sighed.
“You’re worried about your guys, aren’t you?” the Major asked, patting my back.
“A bit,” I replied.
“You really care about them, huh?”
“Of course.
They’re my crew.
Like family.”
She nodded.
“Understandable.”
I sighed.
I hoped they were alright.
Kisara chuckled.
“You should probably get some rest.
Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of your anchovies.”
How could I not worry.
Especially after what happened?
She patted my back.
“You’re going to need all the energy you can muster for the mission.
We’re going to need everyone on top of their game.”
“Good.
Now, go take a nap.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
She snickered.
“See, that wasn’t so hard.”
So she says, but I wasn’t was sure if I could even sleep.
*Zephyros*
“I’m sorry, Prince Zephyros,” Gil said, bowing before me.
“I failed to eliminate the spies.”
“It’s fine, Gil.
You did well.
You injured them, did you not?”
He nodded.
“Good.
Then we’ve made progress.”
“But not enough.”
I snickered and lifted his chin.
“It’s okay, cutie.
We’ll get them.
It’s only a matter of time.”
He blushed.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Now, why don’t you go have some fun?
You’ve been working so hard.
I’m sure you could use a break.”
“N-no, I need to stay and protect you.”
I giggled.
“My dear Gillard, you need rest as well.
You’ve been working non-stop.
Just take a nap or something.
I’ll be fine.
It’s not like the Kuroriku will find us.”
He nodded.
“I will do so later.
But, right now, we need to come up with a plan, Your Highness.
The spies got away.
They’ll surely give away our base’s location.
We must be ready for them.”
I leaned back on my throne and picked up a glass of red wine.
A smile dotted my face.
“Oh, why wait for them?
Won’t it be better if we attack them instead?”
“Your Highness?”
I laughed.
“Think about it.
If we launch a surprise attack on them, we’ll have the upper hand.
We could wipe them out and make a quick retreat while they’re busy attacking our base.”
Gil’s eyes widened.
“That’s true.”
“Exactly.” I took a sip of my wine.
“I’ve got a few ideas brewing.”
He nodded.
“Please let me know how I can assist you.”
I laughed.
“Right now, just rest and regain your strength.
You’ll need it for the mission.”
He saluted me.
“As you wish, Your Highness.”
I snickered as he walked away.
Gil sure was loyal.
I’m glad my attack hadn’t got him killed.
I wasn’t sure if I could handle losing him.
He was like a precious jewel.
I leaned back and looked up at the ceiling.
I could already taste victory.
This mission would be a success.
Taahid would regain that which my father lost.”
“But you need to have patience, Your Highness,” Anim said, appearing next to me.
Gil must’ve tasked her to watch over me in his place.
That overprotective guy.
“I know.
But it’s hard not to get excited.
We’re so close.”
She nodded.
“You’ve worked hard, Your Highness.
I know you want this mission to be a success.”
I smiled.
“Indeed.
And thanks to you, my beautiful djinn, and the cutie it will be.”
She giggled.
“Anything for you, Your Highness.”
“I appreciate it, Anim.”
She smiled and bowed her head.
“Now, you and Gil can relax.
I’ll take over the planning for now.”
“One suggestion.
We need to hole up the group Major Kisara sent to get rid of us.
Based on my fight with the spies, they are dangerous to our objectives.”
I lowered my wine.
“Hole them up, hmm?” I could attempt to do so myself, but that seemed too risky.
Plus, I wanted to personally burn down Taisho City.
There was no better way to get rid of the Kuroriku than to burn their cities to the ground.
And then, Taahid would have everything.
Anim grinned.
“I’ll handle it.”
I shook my head.
“I plan to take Gil with me to Taisho.
You can’t be too far apart from him.
But, I have a backup plan.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“And that is?”
“The Four Sands.
I can call upon them.
Surely they can handle that Seven-Hill knight and his companions.”
She grinned.
“Excellent choice, Your Highness.
They can handle the job without question.”
I picked up my glass and laughed as I raised it up to the golden chandelier of the palace.
“To the end of Kuroriku and the beginning of a new era!”
She picked up a glass of wine I’d offered Gil and clinked it against mine.
“Cheers, Your Highness!
May it be a prosperous one!”