As the Black Spider leader had predicted, when Sylvain mentioned Gustavo's unusual talent to the Saila Empire's military and expressed his intention to send him to the Lion Fleet, the Saila military's high command unanimously stood up, enthusiastically supporting the decision and expressing their hope that Gustavo would arrive as soon as possible.
After hanging up the call, Sylvain, who had a headache, called his second son and explained the situation.
"The Lion Fleet?" Gustavo's expression became subtle after hearing Spider Dad's description.
No wonder he reacted that way; the Lion Fleet is truly peculiar, with its abstract nature maximized.
In the Saila Empire, the Lion Fleet also has another name: the Slack-Off Fleet.
Since the members of the Lion Fleet mainly come from the Kaidilar Planet, where commerce and trade are extremely developed, everyone in the fleet, from officers to soldiers, is quick-witted and a master of business.
They were not swept up by the "fanaticism of the Great Knights" of Planet Saila, unlike their comrades who, once on the battlefield, disregarded life and death and charged forward recklessly. Instead, they forged a rather unique path.
The Lion Fleet has a famous "three no's principle": do not make unnecessary sacrifices, do not participate in unreasonable battles, and do not pursue enemy forces that are in dire straits.
Guided by the "Three Don'ts Principle," the Lion Fleet carried out a series of perplexing actions that left the high command of Planet Saila twitching at the corners of their mouths.
Things like reselling military supplies, fleet commanders leading the vandalism of police stations, always dragging their feet and only arriving at the battlefield when the battle was almost over, and doing business with local gangs on occupied planets...
They lacked any of the excellent qualities associated with professional soldiers; they were all seasoned veterans, adept at shirking responsibility and cheating without any formal training. If they possessed any ability that was unparalleled in the entire army, it was perhaps only in retreat.
This is why the high command of the Saila Empire's military was still overjoyed and eager to welcome Gustavo into the Lion Fleet after learning of his talent.
The objective is very clear!
Gustavo, aren't you capable of attracting all sorts of enemies?
That's perfect! It forces the entire Lion Fleet to counterattack, boosting their fighting power.
To be honest, the Lion Fleet, which originated from the economically developed Kaidilar Planet, is undoubtedly well-equipped, but they just love to slip away unnoticed.
They've never lost a virtual exercise, but they've never won a real battle—it's unbearable to watch.
About two years ago, the Saila Empire launched a large-scale attack on the border region of the Iridescent Light Empire.
The war was progressing smoothly. Compared to the Soaring Dragon Empire, which was reforming and making great strides, the Iridescent Light Empire, which was also split from the Vist Empire, appeared stagnant, with a bloated bureaucracy, low administrative efficiency, countless corrupt officials, and a military far less powerful than the Soaring Dragon Empire.
The reason why Iridescent Light was not defeated by Soaring Dragon was simply because of its sheer size.
Although Iridescent Light, who inherited the vast majority of West's legacy, was weak in combat, it couldn't withstand the overwhelming numbers.
In terms of resource reserves, Soaring Dragon is far superior, so much so that in the competition between the two countries, Soaring Dragon, with its more advanced system and higher morale, was the one that was suppressed and beaten.
Just as Iridescent Light was winning victory after victory and was about to crush Soaring Dragon with its overwhelming power, the sudden attack from the Saila Empire shocked Iridescent Light's leadership. They hurriedly mobilized the main force that was fighting against Soaring Dragon to support the other front. Soaring Dragon's pressure was greatly reduced, and it gained a very precious breathing space.
Although the Iridescent Light Empire was corrupt and decadent, this ancient nation still displayed formidable fighting power when faced with foreign invasion, with its army's combat strength increasing by several times compared to when it fought against the Soaring Dragon Empire.
Despite facing the well-equipped, well-trained, and chivalrous Saila Empire, the Iridescent Light Empire suffered repeated defeats, and its war situation was extremely unfavorable.
At a certain military hub, a massive steel fortress floats in the Starry Sky like an asteroid, while a constant stream of warships come and go like swarms of bees, adding some liveliness and energy to the originally tranquil universe.
Gustavo arrived from afar in a spaceship, identified himself, and the spaceship docked at the port.
Stepping out of the cabin, they were greeted by a group of more than a dozen Saila People. They wore uniform standard armor, with a rigid and serious style, sharp features, and a strong sense of iron-bloodedness.
"Greetings, Your Excellency Gustavo. I am Sorens Osato, Commander of the Lion Fleet!" The leader extended his hand, shook hands with Gustavo, and then turned to lead the way.
"They say you're an expert in boarding maneuvers; it's a bit of a waste of your talents to have you in our Lion Fleet..."
Sorens ' words caused Gustavo's eyes to flicker slightly. It seemed that the high command of the Saila military had not informed this commander of the Lion Fleet of his situation; otherwise, Sorens would not have reacted this way.
"Oh? Why would that be a waste of talent? I think our Lion Fleet is excellent. It's well-equipped, and all its warships are among the most advanced in the Saila Empire," Gustavo asked, feigning ignorance.
Sorens glanced at the lively young man beside him with surprise, secretly pondering, "Could it be that the higher-ups haven't informed Lord Gustavo about the situation of our Lion Fleet?... But that doesn't seem to make sense. Such an expert in boarding maneuvers wouldn't be of much use to me..."
Just kidding! Our Lion Fleet has always upheld the fine tradition of avoiding encounters with any enemy on the battlefield. We rarely even engage in beyond-visual-range combat, let alone the most brutal boarding action!
We have absolutely no need for this kind of talent!
"Thinking about it this way, this Lord Gustavo must be the son of some important figure from our allies, and he's here to escape the war?" Thinking this, Sorens was overjoyed.
The offspring of important figures are a blessing. The more distinguished their status, the less likely they are to be sent to dangerous battlefields after joining our Lion Fleet. In that case, the fleet might even benefit from their status.
War is so boring! It's nothing compared to the freedom of doing business. No matter how fierce the artillery fire or how dazzling the Radiance, can it compare to real gold and silver?
With this in mind, Sorens became even more enthusiastic, introducing Gustavo to the various fortresses as they walked, especially the entertainment venues for eating, drinking, and merrymaking. While the fleet commander's military command skills were not particularly evident, his 'intelligence work' was certainly quite effective.
Gradually, Gustavo also figured out what it meant.
"Does this guy think I'm some rich kid who's just trying to get ahead in life?!"
Gustavo glanced strangely at Sorens beside him, who was enthusiastically describing a red-light district to him. A pang of pity shot through his heart. Poor fellow, he probably had no idea what the Lion Fleet was about to encounter.
Gustavo shook his head and didn't explain much. He was simply carrying out a mission and didn't care much about the fate of the Lion Fleet.