A few days later.
In the conference room, Sorens looked at the military orders in his hand, glancing occasionally at Gustavo, who sat upright, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
"What's wrong, Commander?" Gustavo asked, "Is there a problem with the orders from above this time?"
"There's no problem, but..." Sorens frowned.
He had thought that after Gustavo arrived, the higher-ups would allow the Lion Fleet to rest for a long time, but he didn't expect that the order would be issued so quickly, allowing them to set off.
The specific mission was not explicitly stated in the military order; it simply instructed the Lion Fleet to reach a certain coordinate as quickly as possible.
After Sorens explained the situation, the expressions of the Lion Fleet's high-ranking officers present changed drastically.
"Why are we going on another expedition? Our business at ' Carven Fortress ' has only just begun to take off. If we leave now, we'll be swallowed up by other forces in no time!"
"I've lost a fortune! I just invested in a high-end hotel, hoping to make a killing when the troops return from the front lines for rest. Now it's all gone!"
The meeting room erupted in chaos, filled with complaints. Gustavo was stunned; anyone who didn't know better would think he was attending a board meeting of some conglomerate.
This is a serious military area, folks. Don't you find it very incongruous to be discussing your business so openly?
Seemingly noticing Gustavo's subtle expression, Sorens coughed heavily, and the conference room fell silent.
"Alright, as soldiers of the Empire, obeying orders is your duty. You have three days to prepare, and you will set off immediately after three days!" Sorens gave the order, but Gustavo's expression became even stranger.
If I remember correctly, the Lion Fleet also served as a reserve force while resting and regrouping, right?
Three days to prepare?
Speed is of the essence in war. By the time you arrive, it'll be too late!
However, the other fleet leaders clearly did not think so. After Sorens gave the order, everyone's faces lit up with joy. They quickly stood up, saluted, and hurriedly left the conference room. It seemed that they were going to try their best to recover the losses and recoup the funds.
Looking back at Gustavo, who seemed hesitant to speak, Sorens chuckled and explained, "Don't worry, the higher-ups will understand the difficulties faced by our Lion Fleet and won't say anything more."
The subtext is that those above have become accustomed to the Lion Fleet's sluggishness.
Gustavo understood the meaning behind Sorens' words and nodded slightly, but he was not surprised by the unusual leniency shown by the Saila leadership towards the Lion Fleet.
The Lion Fleet's sluggish marching habits would have been reprimanded countless times by other units.
However, as the financial Kaidilar Planet of the Saila Empire, the Saila military leadership could not be too critical of the Lion Fleet that emerged from that planet.
To paraphrase the governor of Kaidilar Planet, it's like this. "We've already paid, what more do you want? Do you want our children to lose their lives again?"
Money talks; what can the Saila military leadership do?
They had no choice but to indulge them time and time again, which eventually led to the creation of the Lion Fleet, a bizarre force within the ruthless and decisive Saila army—like a husky mixed in with a pack of wolves...
Sorens and other senior officers of the Lion Fleet were indifferent to the departure, only feeling distressed about the business losses.
However, Gustavo could not ignore the risks involved.
Since advancing to the Epic rank, [Luck Deprivation] has experienced a super boost, its momentum seemingly even more terrifying than when it was at this stage in my previous life.
The biggest reason for his fall at the peak of the Peak Epic level in his previous life was that this violently erupting talent constantly attracted all sorts of dangers.
However, in the process of facing danger, the opportunities he gained gradually diminished, and his ability to withstand risks could not keep up with the rapid increase in risks, ultimately leading to his downfall.
Logically, the higher one's luck attribute, the more opportunities one should have.
It felt as if some unknown entity had stolen his luck in some extremely secretive way, leaving him only with risks.
In short, steal the honey and leave the angry swarm of bees behind; I'll take the benefits, and you'll bear the responsibility!
Now, Gustavo's repeated experiences in a short period of time make him feel as if he has returned to his past life.
The familiar feeling, the familiar recipe!
"What exactly is the origin of this Luck Deprivation '...?"
A sharp glint flashed in his deep emerald eyes. After pondering in vain, Gustavo stopped wasting his time and instead took out a star map to examine it carefully.
Sorens didn't care because he didn't know how great the potential risks of this operation were. Gustavo, on the other hand, made thorough preparations based on his understanding. The first thing he did was to make the escape route precise, because he had to consider the possibility of failure before he could win!
And so, everyone busied themselves with their tasks, and three days passed.
After much procrastination, the Lion Fleet finally set sail under repeated urging from above. The mighty steel warships left the embrace of Carven Fortress and headed towards the vast and boundless Starry Sky. Their imposing presence was quite impressive at first glance.
Thousand Leaves Planet.
This is a resource planet that originally belonged to the Iridescent Light Empire. It is rich in a Rare mineral called "Leaf Color Stone," which is the main material for a high-strength special metal and can be widely used in the manufacture of weapons of war.
With the sudden attack of the Saila Empire, Thousand Leaves Planet, which was not far from the border, quickly fell and was occupied by the Saila People.
The Lion Fleet has a total of 728 warships, which is the size of a medium-to-large fleet. However, due to its large number of high-precision weapons and equipment, its actual combat power is even more terrifying than that of many large fleets.
However, due to adhering to the "three no's principle", the Lion Fleet rarely engages in combat with the enemy. It usually harasses the enemy from a distance and then withdraws from the battlefield for various reasons.
Upon arriving outside Thousand Leaves Planet, the Lion Fleet temporarily hovered in space orbit as ordered.
In the operations room, everyone stood at attention.
A beam of azure light shot out, projecting the figure of an elderly man with gray hair.
On his shoulders stood a full three generals.
This man was none other than General Sergei Snovich, the commander-in-chief of the Second Army Group of the Saila Empire.
"General!"
Sorens immediately saluted, his expression solemn.
"Yes! Sit down, everyone!" Sergei waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, lingering on Gustavo for a moment before quickly moving away.
Sorens, with his exceptional ability to read people, noticed this scene and was delighted. His guess was right; Gustavo was indeed the son of a prominent figure in the allied forces. It seemed that the Lion Fleet's mission this time should not be too difficult.