A Vulpo Girl's Life as a Rhodes Island Operator

Fengling was startled, and even her fluffy fox ears stood on end, their fur bristling slightly.

"Present!"

"Next time, say—present." Dobermann glanced at Fengling before continuing, "You have twenty minutes to rest. In twenty minutes, change into your uniform and head to the Rhodes Island deck for your first morning training session."

"Y... Yes, ma'am!"

"...This isn't Lungmen. Call me Instructor!" Dobermann rubbed her forehead helplessly.

In short, Fengling still had a long way to go before becoming an official Rhodes Island operator, given her complete lack of relevant experience and military discipline...

Members of the A4 Reserve Team

Fengling had not brought much with her to Rhodes Island, but with summer approaching, she did have several women's short athletic tops.

She tied her loose hair back into a high ponytail and changed into a black short skirt and black sports bra suitable for movement.

Of course... she had properly put on safety shorts too. Fengling did not want people to think she was some strange fox!

Finally, she put on Rhodes Island's rather oversized uniform.

The fabric felt quite breathable and was very comfortable in this weather.

Next, she just had to head to the deck.

An ordinary elevator could take her there.

As the elevator doors opened, a strong gust of wind brushed against Fengling's ears.

The Rhodes Island landship was enormous, so the height of the deck above its uppermost level was easy to imagine.

Fortunately, the weather was rather hot now, and the wind only brought a refreshingly cool and comfortable feeling.

"Alright... let's see, where is the instructor?"

She brushed aside the strands of hair the wind had blown across her face and looked around.

With the deck's broad, unobstructed view, finding someone was not difficult.

Dobermann and several operators were training not far away.

With light steps, Fengling quickly headed over.

"Whoa! Is this our new member? She's a real beauty! And that tail behind her looks so fluffy—I really want to touch it!"

The words drifted into Fengling's ears on the wind.

They came from a lively-looking Perro girl with long flaxen hair and purple eyes.

"Meli... you're too loud..."

Another girl, a Feline with purple hair and pink eyes who had the air of a refined young lady, quietly tried to stop her.

Besides Instructor Dobermann, there were two young-looking boys and a girl with an extremely flat chest.

One was a Vulpo with pale blue hair and eyes, while the other was a Sankta with white hair, golden eyes, and a halo above his head.

As for the pink-haired, red-eyed girl, her long drooping ears made it clear that she was a Cautus.

Yet in this tiny team of five, every member was of a different race...

Rhodes Island really was a highly inclusive place.

Dobermann took the opportunity to introduce Fengling.

"New operator Fengling will temporarily participate in training as a member of the A4 Reserve Team for a period of time."

Fengling smiled, raised a hand in greeting, and said cheerfully, "Hello, everyone! I'm Fengling, and Fengling is my codename too! I'll be in your care for a while!"

"Hello, hello! I'm Meli! Uh... but you should call me Cardigan here!" The Perro girl bounced over and asked with a grin, "Fengling, your tail is so pretty. Can I touch it?"

Although multiple tails were a sign that Fengling was ill, she had to admit that she quite liked her own tails. She groomed them well every day, and beneath the morning sun, they looked fluffy and glossy.

And there were three of them!

Being complimented on her tail put Fengling in a very good mood. The tails behind her swayed gently as she said, "Sure! But please be gentle... That's where the Originium in my body is concentrated, so be careful not to scratch your hand."

Although the Originium on Fengling's tails was mostly on the bones beneath the skin, it was still better to be careful.

Cardigan ran over and gently petted Fengling's tails.

Fengling's body visibly trembled slightly, and a faint blush appeared on her face.

A Vulpo's tail was rather sensitive. Letting someone touch it was an intimate gesture, yet Fengling had not had many experiences like this before.

The others introduced themselves one by one as well.

"Melantha... Please take care of me." The purple-haired, pink-eyed Feline girl spoke.

That was an easy name to remember.

"Adnachiel." "Steward." The names came respectively from the Sankta boy with the halo and the Vulpo boy.

But with her tail being petted, Fengling got distracted for a moment... Honestly... she could not quite tell whose name had been whose anymore...

"I'm Ansel." The remaining Cautus... Uh... judging from the voice, he did not seem to be a girl...

"A boy?" Fengling tilted her head and instinctively asked with some confusion.

Of course, she quickly realized that was quite rude.

But Ansel seemed to be used to it already.

"Uh... Seeing Steward and Adnachiel snickering... it seems Ansel is normally very easily mistaken for a girl..." Fengling froze for a moment, then more or less understood the situation.

"I... I've been working hard to build muscle lately!" Ansel's cheeks reddened, but he still stubbornly flexed his arm.

But that expression... was far too girlish.

Naturally, after her initial surprise, Fengling managed her expression properly.

As for a companion she would be working alongside in the future, Fengling felt she should offer him some encouragement.

"Keep it up! You can do it!"

"Instructor Dobermann... what did you mean when you said Fengling was only joining us temporarily?" Cardigan continued petting Fengling's tail and brought the conversation back from its tangent.

She looked rather carefree, but unexpectedly, she was a thoughtful girl too.

"It means exactly what it says. Operator Fengling will not officially join the A4 Reserve Team. After completing the relevant courses, she will be freely deployed as an independent unit." Dobermann did not hide anything and stated it directly.

"Huh?" Cardigan looked disappointed, though this sort of "transfer student" situation was actually common at Rhodes Island. "Ugh... what a shame."

"What? Do you want to keep her?" Instructor Dobermann seemed to suddenly think of something and posed Cardigan a question.

Cardigan suddenly felt a chill run down her spine... Clearly, if she followed Dobermann's lead, she might end up suffering again.

During training, Instructor Dobermann was a genuine devil of an instructor, always digging pits for these reserve team operators to fall into.

But if they truly fulfilled Dobermann's follow-up demands, she would genuinely reward the operators she had trained.

"W-Well, of course! We finally got a new companion—how can we just let her go?" Cardigan said, then muttered quietly, "And Fengling's tail is so nice to pet, all fluffy and soft!"

"Good." Dobermann nodded, and a mischievous smile suddenly appeared at the corner of her mouth. "Then let's change today's morning training. It just so happens that it has been a long time since you last had combat training."

Combat training?

Were they really going this far right away?

Fengling's mouth twitched slightly.

"You need to get used to your new equipment too, don't you? Then this is perfect—two birds with one stone." Dobermann announced, "Here are the terms: if every original member of the A4 Reserve Team wins, then, as a safeguard for your future safety, Operator Fengling's basic course duration will be doubled. If Fengling wins, then in my name, you may commission a better piece of equipment from the Engineering Department, and I will cover all costs. Any objections?"

Preparing for the Exercise

Fengling had to face the entire original A4 Reserve Team!

After hearing Instructor Dobermann's announcement, the usually carefree Cardigan was instead the first to calm down.

Instructor Dobermann would never arrange a meaningless, one-sided combat exercise.

"That means... in the instructor's eyes... both outcomes are possible!"

In other words... Dobermann's assessment of Fengling was that she might still be able to win even under the siege of an entire reserve team!

Among Rhodes Island's operators, while there were not too few who could achieve that... every one of them was an elite.

A reserve team, when facing ordinary civilian armed forces, could be considered one against ten as long as they prepared beforehand, coordinated properly, and established a defensive position. It was perfectly normal for them to eliminate enemies several times their own number.

Did Fengling possess the ability to tear through such a line of defense?

If that was the case, Cardigan was no longer surprised that Instructor Dobermann said Fengling would not remain with the A4 Reserve Team.

But they had to give it a try!

Since Instructor Dobermann had said it, victory and defeat were still uncertain!

Fengling had the potential to become a Rhodes Island Elite Operator, but she was not one yet.

Cardigan looked at Melantha.

Melantha nodded. "No objections."

It seemed that the quiet and reserved Melantha was actually the captain of the A4 Reserve Team.

"Then... I agree too."

Fengling herself was also curious about what kind of strength this reserve team, said to represent Rhodes Island's future backbone, truly possessed.

"Then it's decided." Instructor Dobermann picked up her communicator. "Logistics Dispatch Center, this is Dobermann. I am requesting a combat exercise on the deck. Select preset plan Beta. The two sides will be Operator Fengling and the A4 Reserve Team. Please assist in clearing the deck to prevent accidental injury. Also request a Medic operator to be present in case of emergencies. Respond upon receipt."

"Dispatch Center received. Arrangements are being made now. Exercise props will be delivered shortly. The exercise may begin at eight o'clock sharp, Lungmen local time."

"Dobermann received. Communication terminated."

It seemed everything had been arranged.

"Then... neither side is allowed to hold back. If I catch you doing so, your subsequent extra training will be increased tenfold." Dobermann looked coldly at everyone present and ordered, "Now, prepare freely. The exercise begins at eight."

When it came to matters that required seriousness, Dobermann would not relax even slightly.

"Yes!"

Fengling and the A4 Reserve Squad members answered in unison.

Fengling had nothing that required advance preparation, so she focused on observing the A4 Reserve Squad members.

By examining the equipment they prepared, she could roughly guess what sort of combat approach they would take as her opponents.

Fengling still remembered being beaten up by Gavial, a "Medic operator," during her entrance test.

So she would never underestimate anyone at Rhodes Island.

Cardigan carried a heavy shield and appeared to serve as the team's front line.

Without a word, Melantha fastened a straight-bladed sword to her waist... It looked somewhat like a Higashi katana, so she was probably the team's assault specialist.

The boy bearing a Sankta halo held what seemed to be a modified crossbow.

The Vulpo boy already had cold Originium Arts light shimmering from the staff in his hand.

Those two were both long-range support types.

Ansel checked the medicine and medical supplies in his pack, clearly serving as a battlefield Medic.

What a well-defined team of five.

Before long, more people came up to the deck.

"Yahoo~ Such a big production on your first day. As expected of you."

Gavial, whom Fengling had just been thinking about, emerged from the elevator carrying a huge bag of things.

"Morning, Gavial!" Fengling said with a smile.

"Morning! I'll get busy helping prepare the field first! Hey!! Sit down, sit down! You're participating in the exercise, so don't jump in to help. Rest while you can."

After stopping Fengling from helping, Gavial handed her two sheets of paper. "Here, your test papers—the mission objectives for the exercise. The one with more words is yours, since you're the attacker. Whether you give the other one to those little ones is up to you; they already know it well."

What kind of test did not give the examinees the questions?