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"Yes, a little," the sergeant replied. "This morning, one of the guys in Sector 45A beat up a guy from Sector 11."
"What?!" The major stared at him, shouting as he slowly stood up. "You've been in Area 11 for less than a week, haven't contributed anything, and you're already causing trouble?!"
"Uh, please calm down, big sister." The sergeant was terrified and called out the major's nickname first. "So, should I listen to your insults first, or should I explain myself to you first?"
Lefel took a few breaths, glanced around, and slowly sat down.
"Speak, I'll listen to your explanation."
"Yeah. So, tonight, we were passing a store when one of the guys in our group bumped into their Japanese clerk. After walking a few steps, he seemed to notice something and rushed at him to hit him. Oh! Before the fight started, he shouted something, which they later told me was 'Cap'."
"'Cap?' What's that?"
"I found it strange too. Logically speaking, 'cap' doesn't have any extended meaning in English. Then they explained to me that 'cap' is associated with cheating bastards and is a kind of derogatory term. It's paired with things like 'blue cap,' 'green cap,' and so on. They even said that the soldier who beat someone up seemed to have encountered a 'green cap'..."
"Damn it, how is the English spoken by these people in Area 45A any different from ours?" Lefel was a little confused.
“That’s what I think too, sir, and the way they talk doesn’t seem like they’re lying.”
"So, did you notice whether the other four men looked around or made any small movements while that soldier was hitting someone?"
"Are you referring to any signs of them escaping? No, after that man rushed forward, everyone, including the one with the prosthetic leg, went to stop him, and I didn't see them steal anything. Besides, Major, since I've come back alive and none of them have run away, what chance do they have of causing trouble?"
"So, did that soldier really intend to hit someone?"
"Of course, Major, their explanation is that the man's sleeve was ripped open by the impact."
“Emmm…” Suddenly, Lefel seemed to remember something, “The soldier who hit him, his name?”
"Name? Oh, I think it's Taylor."
"Taylor!" The major's eyes widened in surprise.
"Huh? What happened?" The soldier was startled by the scene.
"Oh, it's nothing, it's nothing." She waved her hand, brushing it off—of course, the soldiers didn't know that this soldier named Taylor had been flirting with the major frequently during the initial days of his capture, something that Leiffer still couldn't get over in front of these soldiers.
"You should remember, soldier, yesterday at lunchtime in the mess hall, one of them was arguing with Lieutenant Harlan, you know?"
"It's him? I know this person, but I don't know his name."
"Fine, remember this from now on: this bastard looks like a scoundrel, a troublemaker. Since that's the case, then I'll..."
The major picked up a pen and wrote a document on a piece of paper.
"The death penalty may be spared, but punishment is unavoidable. Show this to those guys in white and tell them that in the next few days, after completing their assigned tasks, they must return to the barracks and are not allowed to go anywhere! They will have no more freedom of movement!"
"Um, big sister, shouldn't we discuss this kind of punishment with Lieutenant Colonel Caronville?"
……
Meanwhile, in a barracks that resembled a prison, five soldiers dressed in white were pacing back and forth, discussing something.
Upon entering, there are two bunk beds on the left and one bunk bed on the right, with a table placed next to the door.
Clark laid his prosthetic leg flat on a lower bunk, while Garcia and Philip sat on the lower bunk opposite him. Davis formed a barrier with his arms and body, all to surround Taylor, who was standing in front of the window, and who had just vented his anger.
“OK, Private.” Davis looked at him seriously. “Now, start telling everyone about your ‘criminal motive’.”
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you all about it today." Taylor looked at the four pairs of eyes in front of him and raised his voice.
"My uncle, I used to play football with him when I was a kid, he raised me! He joined the navy in 1939, and the last time he wrote home, he said he was the anti-aircraft gunner on the 'Big E'. And then what? Then this May, on that damn Okinawa Island, he was shot down by Japanese planes, huh? What were they called?"
"Kamikaze?"
"Yes!" Taylor roared, "It was a fucking son of a bitch kamikaze that crashed into the Big E! And do you know how badly my uncle was hurt?!"
“Right here! Right here!” He patted his chin, then his knees and arms. “They’re all fucking burned! It’s a miracle there’s no skin left in this area! You know how lucky you are to have survived? You know what my mom said in her letter! My uncle will be lying in the hospital from now on! These hands! These feet! He’ll never be able to move a damn thing again!”
Taylor huffed and puffed, took a few deep breaths, and her eyes were a little red.
"That's not all, let me tell you!" he roared again, spitting everywhere. "My cousin, I enlisted in '43, he went to the Marine Corps in '42. And do you know what happened that year! That damn island! That damn island called Guadalcanal! As a medic, he was supposed to go and rescue a wounded Japanese bastard according to regulations, and guess what happened! That damned Japanese shorty actually pulled the pin on a grenade, killing my cousin and a few other medics along with him!"
"The day my mom, aunt, and I received the letter from the military, I swore to them that I would never let those Japanese bastards get away with this! From now on, I'll beat any Japanese I see to death! Don't talk to me about the law! I'm not afraid of going to jail! I'm going to make all those inhuman bastards disappear from the face of the earth! I'll fucking make them disappear!"
Taylor uttered the last punctuation mark, kicked the bed leg hard, then squatted down, covered her flushed face, and began to sob.
Davis and Clark were both in the same unit as him, and they knew this story. This was mainly told to Garcia and Philip.
"Okay, now you know why, right?"
Garcia remained silent, simply watching the pitiful young man on the ground. Philip also said nothing, quietly making the sign of the cross on his chest.
Davis nodded, slowly squatted down in front of Taylor, patted the soldier's shoulder, and waited for him to calm down.
"OK, sir, I'm fine now, I'm fine now, it feels so good to have said it all."
"I'm only allowed to shout because there aren't many people in the military now, kid."
"Huh?" Taylor was suddenly at a loss for words at the change in his expression from sunny to cloudy.
"Now, can you listen to me explain why I won't let those guys in black know about Taylor?"
The four of them didn't speak, but simply looked at him, quietly preparing to listen.
"Actually, when Taylor bumped into that person who looked Japanese, I wasn't entirely sure if he was really speaking Japanese. But that's not the point, because the real source of all evil isn't the 'Japanese,' but these English-speaking aliens."
Everyone is puzzled.
“Answer me, soldiers.” Davis paused. “Do you remember what you thought a few days ago when we learned in Berlin that our brothers had been attacked by unidentified people?”
"Us?" They looked at each other, puzzled. "We all think it's the Russians who have attacked."
"That's right, guys. If these extraterrestrial visitors can appear in Berlin in such a peculiar way, could they appear in other places in the same peculiar way?"
"Other places?"
"They opened such a door in Berlin, and now a week has passed. Do you dare say that Ike and his men know about these bastards? In fact, I can say that Germany has now become a hot battlefield between the United States and the Soviet Union. Do you believe me?"
"We? Going to war with the Soviet Union?" Garcia's eyes widened.
"Of course, this is just my speculation. What I'm thinking is, if I were their leader, and I now know from Taylor that our world includes not only the United States and the Soviet Union, but also Japan, Britain and France, and all sorts of other countries, and I could follow the clues to understand all the conflicts around the world, wouldn't I open more doors in other places, causing even more terrible global misunderstandings?"
"The world, the global..." Everyone panicked.
"We went to war with the Soviet Union, and then Britain and France went to war..."
"Once we're all tired of fighting, we'll throw the door down to the foot of Capitol Hill..."
“These enemies are formidable, guys.” Davis lowered his voice. “None of us know if these self-proclaimed ‘Britanians’ have figured out our background, but just in case, we must keep our mouths shut and not let them know anything about our world, understand?”
"So that's what you've been worried about, sir?"
“Exactly. So, everyone, let’s try to talk as little as possible from now on, especially you, Taylor…”
"Ah...I...I understand...Then I'll just pretend that guy wasn't Japanese, and let's just let this matter go..."
"But I was thinking, how terrifying would it be if they could easily drop a portal between Washington and Moscow..."
……
As the sun was about to set, the city hall in the Tokyo concession gradually quieted down, bathed in the glow of the setting sun.
Only His Highness Prince Schneizel, along with a few accompanying officers, sat in the conference room, looking at a screen set up in front of them. The screen displayed a middle-aged man dressed as a scientist.
"So, will I get the answer I'm hoping for this time?"
"I'm so sorry, Your Highness, we..."
"What time is it, Doctor? I think I've given you far too much funding for the research and development of the 'Eternal Protocol,' and yet, haven't you been able to easily drop a portal to any place other than Berlin in District 45?"
"Your Highness, I cannot do it... This is a research field with absolutely no precedent, we have truly... done our best..."
"Trying your best? Is using that kind of flexible conduit system to connect the mother and child portals the result of your best efforts?"
"Ahem, Your Highness, please give us some more time, we should..."
"Now you're talking about time again? Can you have some self-awareness about your own situation? You know, for the sake of the future peace of this world, I have other projects that I need to devote my energy to. Do you expect me to use these excuses as a way to take my first steps when our scepter is floating in the sky?"
"No, no, no, Your Highness, rest assured, we absolutely... Oh, right, about the arrangements Your Highness made for us three days ago, we..."
"Hmm?" Schneizel's eyes suddenly showed a hint of interest.
"His Highness's request is to establish an energy connection between the mother and child portals using methods other than pipe connections. After our testing, it seems there's a promising prospect!"
"Is that so?" The prince's voice held a hint of doubt. "So, time?"
"Tomorrow! Tomorrow will be fine! If Your Highness has the time!"
"Tomorrow? Oh dear, I have matters to discuss with His Majesty the Emperor tomorrow, and I may not be able to spare the time during the day. Since you are so eager to have a demonstration, I will have Duke Sasler observe for me tomorrow. You'd better pray that nothing goes wrong."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Chapter 83, Section 130: Crossing the Sky
The clock at the Tokyo Concession City Hall once again crossed midnight, arriving at 10 a.m. the next day.
On the roof of a towering building built on a high point in the southwest of the city, which was quite spacious and had a helipad, Lieutenant Colonel Caronville stood with a few attendants, looking at the scenery below the mountain through binoculars.
Of course, the lieutenant colonel wasn't here for a vacation; he was ordered to accompany his superior on an inspection tour—but Duke Sassler hadn't arrived yet, so he came here first to check things out.
So what's at the foot of the mountain? It's a fairly large military airfield, complete with runways, aprons, control towers, and all the necessary facilities. At the start of the runway, four armed transport planes are parked in a row, their engines still running, and the large cargo doors at the rear of the planes are open.
It seems they're preparing to load something? But the answer is quite obvious. Look outside the runway, there are about a dozen KMF mechs, all carrying dedicated airborne gliders instead of flight backpacks. That must be their boarding pass.
The transport planes are going to take the KMFs into the sky, but where are they going? Nobody knows yet.
However, looking at the ground nearby, a helipad originally intended for armed helicopters had been occupied by a group of new guests—VTOL Nightbat slingers used for aerial transport by the KMFs. But instead of the Iron Knights being hoisted, they were carrying something else entirely—Caronville was quite far away, and the Nightbat's fuselage obscured the view, so it was impossible to see it clearly.
[Author's Note: The VTOL used by Britannia to transport the KMF mechs hasn't been officially given a codename or anything like that, so I've given it this name myself for convenience. It's inspired by the full name of KMF, Knightmare Flame; "knightmare" is a variant of "nightmare," so let's just call the VTOL transporting it "Night Bat" based on its appearance.]
That's true. After the KMF's flight wings were developed, the number of aerial mechs increased significantly. The Nightbats, originally used to help ground-based KMFs traverse terrain, saw their combat opportunities gradually decrease. However, as a transport vehicle, they still have their uses. By replacing the KMF sling with a basket, they can be used for transporting supplies—attack helicopters have enough tonnage, and the currently limited number of aerial mechs can't be left idle for combat missions, flying around carrying loads of boxes and barrels, right?
Even so, some units didn't have the chance to enjoy these leftovers, for example...
"Sigh, at this rate, my troops won't even have time to attend the Nightbats' retirement ceremony." Caronville put down his binoculars, looked in the direction of the airport, and muttered to himself with a smirk.
"Lieutenant Colonel." At that moment, a soldier's report came through, followed by the sound of a jet engine that wasn't too harsh.
"His Excellency the Duke's plane has arrived."
The lieutenant colonel then turned around and saw a white troop transport plane slowly approaching the tower where he was, moving toward the helipad.
"Everyone, disperse."
The troop transport plane came to a stop, and the wind and noise from the engine began to subside. The lieutenant colonel led the guards to the front of the aircraft and lined up.
The hatch opened, and Duke Sassler and his entourage of soldiers appeared before everyone.
"Your Excellency," Caronville greeted loudly, bowing to the Duke.
“Very good, child.” The Duke didn’t say anything more. “Is everything ready? Go and contact them.”
"Yes, sir." The lieutenant colonel picked up his walkie-talkie.
"Calling the doctor, this is the observation group, please respond."
"Received, observation group." The tone on the other end of the radio was normal.
"Reporting on the situation, Doctor. Has the final check before the test been completed?"
"Everything is ready, Lieutenant Colonel, awaiting His Excellency the Duke's orders."
He turned around and watched as a soldier handed the binoculars to the Duke.
"start!--"
……
Soon, there was some response from the parked armed transport plane.
Eight KMFs crouched down and slowly crawled into the cabin of the lead transport plane using their drive wheels. After being checked by the crew and secured inside, the cabin door slowly closed, the transport plane started its engines, and it was ready for takeoff.
At the command of the base control towers, the transport planes roared across the runway, slowly taking off and carrying their Iron Knights into the sky. Meanwhile, the other transport planes were also busy; eight KMFs lined up and entered their bellies, awaiting the completion of pre-takeoff procedures.
Meanwhile, more than a dozen Nightbat helicopters parked nearby, carrying the strange-looking object from their cabins, slowly climbed higher. When they reached an altitude of over a thousand meters, the Nightbats began to change formation—they split into two groups of seven, each group further divided into six helicopters carrying Tesla coils, forming a giant hexagon perpendicular to the ground in the air, approximately four or five hundred meters wide and one or two hundred meters long. The remaining helicopter, carrying something resembling a transformer, remained quietly a short distance directly below the hexagon.
Before long, the transport plane that took off first was already circling in the air. What was it waiting for? Naturally, it was the two groups of night bats that had also flown to an altitude of about two thousand meters. During this time, the two groups of VTOLs had been getting further and further apart.