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"It's just a name for a race, like the Silver Clan and the Iron Clan, not the kind of hero you're imagining."
After explaining to the bewildered Nanoha Takamachi, Fate Testarossa continued to ask for details.
"The intelligence says that this hero named 'Aiji' disappeared half a month ago. Could you tell me what he did before he disappeared?"
With a pale face, Venus clenched his fists tightly: "...went to a place."
The mage didn't let her off the hook, since such vague information was of little use: "Where did you go?"
"...Daedalus Star".
Just as he was about to ask further questions, Hayate Yagami, who was flipping through documents next to him, suddenly interjected: "Star Daedalus... if I remember correctly, it should be one of the civilized stars that was invaded and destroyed by the 'Platinum Clan,' and it has now been renamed 'Star Platinum.'"
Vinos nodded silently.
The mages exchanged a glance, already realizing the difficulty of this task.
"Besides this, is there any other information about that Mr. 'Edge'?"
"I don't know... I don't know. Ever since that day, I haven't been able to sense Edge's presence..."
Seeing Princess Venus muttering to herself in a daze, Fate Testarossa felt a pang of pity, but she was too embarrassed to press further. Instead, she turned to her friend and said, "This should be the limit. Although there's no specific direction, at least we have a goal to achieve."
"So, we're now going to cross the front lines of the Bureau's resistance against the 'Platinum Clan' invasion and infiltrate their base planet...?"
Even someone with Nanoha Takamachi's personality felt somewhat overwhelmed after realizing how difficult the mission was.
It's important to understand that this isn't a battle line a few miles wide on the ground, but a "space battle line" composed of multiple planets, with no fixed length or even a clear width. And the two sides in this war aren't humans wielding machine guns and cannons, but rather two camps clashing with magic, warships, and star-destroying firepower.
In such a war, sending two S+ rank mages or even twenty would make no difference.
The long history of exploration by the Time and Space Administration shows that flesh and blood can never defeat steel in a direct confrontation. Only with equal firepower and warships can these opponents with a vast civilization be defeated. Mages mainly play the role of providing energy or launching small-scale raids. It is not very meaningful to send them into the main battlefield.
Perhaps this is why the Time and Space Administration is so obsessed with the "heroes" of the Black Iron Clan. After all, they are monsters who can single-handedly change the course of an interstellar war. If they could obtain their secrets, it would be no problem for the Time and Space Administration to advance its technology to the next level.
Of course, these are things that the mages of the Mobile Section 6 cannot know. Their current mission is to find the whereabouts of the Black Iron Clan's "hero"—Age. Even if they cannot bring him back, they must have specific location information.
No matter how bad the situation is, once you receive a task, you still have to take action.
Considering the danger of this mission, the three captains decided to go on their own, but Eve, who had been watching the whole thing, refused, saying, "I want to go too."
"No, you've only just joined Section Six—"
"I am already an S-class mage."
This answer successfully shut down Fate Testarossa's subsequent remarks, which, while incredible, was indeed the truth.
In just over a month, Eve completed the transformation that had taken her several years to achieve. After acquiring a new magical artifact (which Lin Yi modified again to adapt to Eve's own energy circuit), she continued to grow and, until the day before yesterday, perfectly passed all the tests for an S-class mage.
Of course, such a reason alone would not convince them, something Eve had anticipated, so she added before the other person could speak: "They may be related to the deaths of my family members."
"..."
She opened her mouth, but Takamachi Nanoha had no choice but to shut it up.
This is already an open secret within the Time and Space Administration.
The appearance of the "Platinum Clan" is too suspicious. They appeared almost immediately after the Time and Space Administration entered this time. They clearly have such powerful strength, yet there was no prior indication of their appearance. This is obviously not in line with common sense.
Given that the target of the Time and Space Administration's tracking once caused a dimensional war, it's not hard not to connect the two.
It was with similar considerations in mind that the Time and Space Administration did not deliberately seek the root of the "Platinum Clan's" hostility, but instead responded directly after the other party showed hostility: any negligence would be fatal when facing an opponent of this caliber.
This is also an unavoidable hurdle in Eve's "identity background". In Eve's "background", her family was killed because of the war caused by the "Platinum Clan" in the 105th dimension. She eventually joined the Time and Space Administration. It was fine if she didn't find the "culprit" yet, but now that she has found him, she has already moved on from the past in terms of both morality and reason - whether or not it is "revenge".
Even with countless reasons, Takamachi Nanoha couldn't refuse this perfectly reasonable excuse, and in the end, she could only agree to let Eve follow her on the condition that "she must listen to me in everything."
Having obtained the desired "permission," the girl felt no joy. To her, it was merely a trivial step on the path to the "result," while the true "ending" awaited her...
"Soon...soon...Father..."
----------segmentation----------
Star Platinum.
Intrusion detected from unknown coordinates
Lin Yi, who was busy manufacturing the new type of automated humanoid, didn't even turn his head: "Clean it up."
Should we deploy the reincarnated ones?
"permit."
【Command confirmation】
The main god space.
Main mission: Annihilate the invaders
Success reward: 1 reward point
Failure penalty: 1 reward point
Gazing at the task before her, the black-clad girl showed no emotion, simply accepting the task calmly and replying, "Yes, Father."
P.S.: Happy Valentine's Day!
PS2: You think I would say that?
PS3: Happy Barbecue Festival...
Time and Space Administration: Chapter 474 Lexington
"This is the Vittorio Veneto. Please relay the next instructions."
After a brief silence, a gentle voice came through the communication channel after the identity verification was completed.
Welcome, Ms. Veneto.
Although it was just a simple title, it still managed to make Veneto feel quite favorably toward this "comrade-in-arms" he had never met before. After all, not to mention the present era, back when "size" determined "ship type," Veneto was more than once considered to be a destroyer or even a submarine.
Clearly, neither destroyers nor submarines are worthy of being called "ladies"...
With her lips pursed, the girl asked in a slightly gentler tone than before, "Can you tell me about the battle situation here?"
【certainly. 】
As soon as the words were spoken, a huge star map encompassing two nearby star systems appeared before their eyes. Apart from the stars that were either dim or dazzling, the most eye-catching thing was the red and green "points of light" scattered across the top.
Like chess pieces battling on a board, the two sides were intertwined around a clear "dividing line," each side partially overlapping the other. Even as Veneto was being briefed on the battle, red or green dots of light would occasionally flicker out. Without needing an explanation, Veneto understood the meaning behind these flickering dots.
"...The battle was more intense than I had imagined."
I instinctively grasped the hands wearing black silk gloves, and even through the thin veil, I could still feel a slight warmth emanating from their surfaces.
Perhaps noticing Veneto's unusual behavior, the automaton on the other side did not immediately ask Veneto to go to her mission area, but instead changed the subject.
Are you new to this kind of war?
Her face flushed slightly, but Veneto saw no need to lie about such a matter.
The surviving experience from the old era proved that the more you deceive on the battlefield, the easier it is to die: "...Yes, I have only participated in the suppression of civilization stars before, this is my first time participating in interstellar warfare."
There's no need to be nervous; we're all the same.
The automaton's tone grew increasingly gentle, as if it were comforting Veneto, who was nervous about the upcoming war.
Our past experience can only serve as a reference here; very little of it can actually be applied… Moreover, our enemies are no longer the rigid deep-sea creatures of the past, but adversaries with equally rich combat experience, and even more advanced tactics than ours. It's normal to make mistakes.
The automated humanoid on the other end paused slightly.
[...I believe you've already noticed. Whether we're lucky or not, even if we're sunk on the battlefield this time, we won't be completely 'submerged.' The 'Supreme Will' has completely replicated our mental models, so even temporary setbacks can allow us to 'resurrect' from the rear. So, go ahead and do it boldly. Here, you'll have countless opportunities until you truly adapt to this kind of warfare and then defeat them.]
Sensing the oddity in the automaton's voice, Veneto didn't hesitate: "Do you hate this situation?"
I don't hate the idea of simply 'resurrecting'; what I hate is war.
Veneto couldn't understand: "Why? Isn't this the purpose of our existence?"
Yes, so I will carry out the orders of the 'Supreme Will,' regardless of my personal likes or dislikes; it is simply our duty.
Even after receiving this answer, Veneto's doubts remained undiminished. However, their relationship was not close enough for him to delve into every detail, so he could only leave the sensitive question aside.
Afterwards, Veneto received his mission details from the android responsible for that combat area on the other side, as if going through a formality, and learned the name of the android before the mission ended.
Lexington, that's my name.
Lexington?
After the communication was cut off, Veneto tried to recall the memories of the automaton for a while but still couldn't remember anything. This situation was not uncommon among automatons. Although they were all mental models created based on a relatively well-known concept in world history, not all mental models were connected. For example, some were active in earlier eras, and some were active in later eras. Although it was rare, it did happen that the two were completely separate.
Unable to recall any information about the name "Lexington," Veneto simply labeled her a "strange fellow" and ignored her. Rather than investigating the past of this strange automaton, Veneto was clearly more concerned with the battlefield she was about to head to.
Unlike when he was confined to the ocean of a single planet, with a new life and a much wider "navigation sea", Veneto had to learn more knowledge he had never encountered before, including weapons he had never imagined and counting methods that were often measured in "tens of thousands of kilometers".
Furthermore, because the battlefield is in space, the once-proud parabolic shooting has been completely overturned and restarted. If you still enter the battlefield with that old-fashioned combat style, you don't even need to wait for the enemy's artillery fire; Veneto alone can ruin this "body" that has just been upgraded to the interstellar era.
To avoid such unnecessary casualties, Veneto had to adapt to these changes before officially entering the battlefield.
"This is not just a new beginning, it's a challenge!"
With flames burning in her eyes, the girl set off towards the stars and the sea.
----------segmentation----------
Ring of Stars.
Although the conflict is quite intense on the entire front, if the scope is narrowed down to a single star system, the battle between the Platinum Clan and the Time and Space Administration is not so "devastating," since neither side has officially declared war on the other yet.
The current situation should be described as "friction" and "contradiction".
The Ringed Starfield is such a "friction point".
The Platinum Clan was the first to discover the coordinates of this star system, but as they invaded many civilized stars, the Spacetime Administration, which had become an adversary, immediately announced "navigation control" over this star system, attempting to prevent the Platinum Clan from settling in on the grounds of danger.
Naturally, such a reason could not be accepted by either side, so in the end, the verbal exchanges developed into an invisible confrontation. Currently, both sides occupy most of the planets in the Ring of Indus and are working on terraforming them. Veneto's mission is to create as much trouble as possible for the other side while ensuring the safety of the planets he occupies.
Time and Space Administration: Chapter 475 Stalking and Ambush
Because a real conflict has not yet broken out, Veneto cannot directly bombard those planets belonging to the Time and Space Administration with orbital cannons as it did with the civilization stars. The reason it was able to attack those civilization stars infiltrated by the Time and Space Administration was because it pretended not to know of their existence. Now that the confrontation has taken place, it would be an outright act of war if it were to openly launch an orbital attack.
With her extensive experience in war, Veneto knew that day would eventually come, but it was not today, nor was it something she could initiate.
In other words, she had to find a different way to complete the task.
Perhaps considering that Veneto was new to this type of interstellar warfare, Lexington not only conveyed the mission but also provided her with considerable assistance, including how to efficiently and safely disrupt the enemy's militarization of the planet.
Of the many options offered by Lexington, Veneto chose the most brutal, but also the most efficient, method.
"...However, it seems that submarines and destroyers are the ones who carry out these kinds of missions the most?"
Veneto hesitated after making her decision. After all, according to her memories of the old era, most of the submarines and destroyers, or at most light cruisers, were used to carry out the kind of task she was about to do during wartime. It was a bit too unbecoming of her to send a main battleship to perform such a mission.
She already seemed somewhat out of place among the other battleship-class androids around her, so wouldn't it only prove that she was doing a destroyer's job at this time?
After much hesitation, Veneto finally convinced himself with his strong will.
"This is war, that's right!"
The more crucial reason is that the "environment" here is large enough that no one will notice that they are acting as a destroyer to tail and strike enemy transport ships.
Acting on impulse, to avoid any unforeseen circumstances (whether for their own side or the enemy), Veneto left the automatic repair port almost immediately after making the decision, sneaking towards a nearby planet belonging to the Time and Space Administration.
Both sides in this war, whether the "Platinum Clan" or the Time and Space Administration, clearly possess the technology to perform space transfer. While this technology can reduce the time cost of transportation to the extreme—a matter of an instant—the energy consumed is also astronomical. In comparison, although physical transportation is slower, it is more stable and durable. Therefore, both sides have unanimously adopted the approach of "physical transportation as the primary method and transfer as a secondary method" in their investment in planetary terraforming.
Apart from the relatively core templates being directly transferred via space transfer, other resources requiring extensive production and maintenance are transported using various types of warships.
Since there is a "transportation" stage, there must also be an "interception" stage.
Although times and scenarios are changing, some laws remain unchanged.
As both sides increasingly prioritize frontline resources, tactics to intercept and blockade the other's resource transport ships have emerged. The first to adopt this tactic were the automated humanoids, which fully inherited the old-era naval tactics. The automated humanoids, who had been suffering from the "wolf pack tactics" for a long time, finally had the opportunity to use them on a larger stage to attack other people, so they naturally did not let it go. However, the Time and Space Administration was not entirely unprepared.
Unlike wars of the old era, in this interstellar age, the outcome of wars is determined not only by intelligence and firepower, but also by magic.
The power of mages is not obvious in large-scale frontal battles, but it is quite effective in small-scale conflicts. To date, more than 80% of the casualties of the "Platinum Clan" have been caused by mages, which is why the losses are so severe even though it is not a direct war.
Having received this intelligence from Lexington in advance, Veneto did not let her guard down just because the opponent was a transport ship equipped with basic attack and defense modules. After spotting the target and getting within a certain distance, the warning issued by the magic power monitor specially developed by the "Supreme Will" to deal with mages was enough to keep her on high alert.
"There are four of them, and all of them are S-rank or higher mages, with the highest magic power reaching SS-rank."
Unlike the soldier-versus-general dynamics in games, war is more realistic and brutal. There is no such thing as a battleship being able to crush all mages below S-rank, nor is there any such thing as an SS-rank mage being able to destroy a fleet with a flick of the wrist. The strength and weakness can only be determined after a battle ends with one side's demise. Before that, even the most unequal comparisons may still have the possibility of reversal.
It was obvious that for Veneto, who was "alone," facing four S-class mages at the same time was quite difficult, and a slight mistake could easily lead to his defeat (literally), but Veneto never thought of giving up.
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