Reconnaissance Mission

Night fell, and all was silent.

The occasional starlight flickered overhead.

Figures flashed one after another through the midnight jungle.

The man in the lead crouched beside a cliff and took out night-vision binoculars to survey the distance.

A moment later, more than a dozen fully armed soldiers wearing night-vision goggles silently arrived behind him.

The leader lowered his binoculars, turned, and gave the figures behind him a slight nod. Everyone raised their hands and checked the watches on their wrists.

After synchronizing their time, they exchanged nods and quietly departed in groups of three, three, and one.

Not a single sound was made.

At the same time.

The Aegean Sea churned as a submarine quietly surfaced.

Dozens of soldiers silently boarded speedboats and surged toward the distant mountains.

Before dawn.

Wooo—

A piercing alarm rang through the mountains.

Then, at some point, it abruptly stopped.

The next day.

"What—?"

Shin Asuka could not help crying out, but after receiving a glare from Ray beside him, he hurriedly changed his wording and continued, "...Uh, you mean a reconnaissance mission, right?"

Arthur stood before them, raising his brow. "That's right! And this is an official order issued directly by the military command center!"

A mission directly assigned by the military command center—without realizing it, the Minerva had become something of a "big shot."

Talia glanced sideways at Arthur. This vice-captain really was—

"According to information from the local residents—"

Arthur failed to notice Talia's gaze and merely brought up a display and a map of the surrounding area.

An orange point of light flashed over an inland region far from the Aegean coastline.

"—there's an unidentified research facility in this area. It's said to be connected to the Alliance military. There doesn't seem to be any activity there now, but