C20 The Fleet

"Hmm?" Martina's words... could I have misunderstood? Her statement plunged Egil's once clear judgment back into a tangled mess.

Was she not here for me?

But what relic is she talking about? I can't make heads or tails of it! The only clear thing is that Martina called me a tyrannosaurus, not an ant.

Alright then, if you see me as a tyrannosaurus, I'll embrace being a tyrannosaurus!

Ants can't negotiate terms, but a tyrannosaurus certainly can.

Egil, fighting off a headache, began to lay out various demands to Martina.

His first request was to broaden the range of activities for the students of Azure Dragon Garden.

Predictably, Martina consented.

Yet, this didn't really prove anything. After all, reinforcements from the four great academies were on their way, and upon their arrival, everything here would be up for grabs again. This so-called expansion of activities was merely a temporary measure, effective for a day or two before the reinforcements arrived.

Having gained an inch, Egil aimed for a mile. He boldly requested access to the research data previously compiled by Willoughby scholars.

To his surprise, Martina readily agreed.

This was getting out of hand. Egil was dumbfounded for a moment before deciding to go all in. He suggested that Azure Dragon form an alliance with Willoughby and outmaneuver the other two factions.

As expected, Martina hesitated. After all, Azure Dragon Garden and Willoughby University were traditionally rivals, not allies.

Seemingly resolute, Martina slapped the coffee table and declared, "Fine, I hadn't expected you to be the one to suggest it. I was on the fence about how to handle her, but since you've chosen this path, let's kick her out of the game."

Egil shook his head, haunted by visions of the severed limbs that had surrounded him the night before. The girl in front of him, her twin ponytails now resembling the wings of a bat, stretched out on either side.

The door opened with a creak, and Quintana entered, head bowed. She noticed Egil, Martina, and the two coffee cups on the table.

"Cough, excuse me, I didn't mean to interrupt," she apologized, sneaking a quick glance at Egil.

What was that look supposed to mean? Egil bristled with irritation and shot a glare back at her. He was no lolicon.

"Quintana, why are you in such a rush?" Martina inquired.

"There's one piece of good news and one piece of bad news. Which would you like to hear first, Madam?"

"The bad news."

Quintana seemed momentarily surprised by Martina's choice before responding, "The Military Academy's ship has entered our identification zone."

"Damn it!" Martina leapt onto the couch, exclaiming, "I underestimated Mark! That man actually reached out to the academy ahead of time! Damn it!"

"So, what's the good news?" Martina continued to pace restlessly on the sofa, prompting Egil to ask Quintana directly.

"A carrier fleet from the Military Academy has arrived..."

"How is that possible?"

"It appears they were already conducting exercises nearby and simply detoured here."

"Is that supposed to be good news? A carrier fleet could wipe out a small country!" Egil rose to his feet, agitated.

Quintana responded with a hint of frustration, "You're asking in the wrong order. If you had asked for the good news first, I could have said the reinforcements have arrived, and the bad news would be that they're from the Military Academy."

"You..." Egil turned to Martina.

Martina shook her head and shrugged, "That's typical of everyone from Augustus Academy."

Egil was left speechless.

"Willoughby University will need another day to arrive," Martina said, turning to Quintana.

Quintana gave a wry smile, "Augustus Academy will take seven days."

"Why so long?"

"They need to prepare self-heating coffee packs."

"You guys..." Martina took a deep breath, trying to reassure herself, "I'm used to this. I've always been used to it. The folks from Augustus Academy have always been this way."

With that thought, she glanced at Egil. If Willoughby's traditional ally had been Azure Dragon instead of Augustus, would they have already dominated the academic world?

"How about you? How long until Azure Dragon Garden can provide support?" Martina asked Egil.

Egil shrugged, "I don't know. You're well aware of my situation. I, the 'traitor,' definitely know less than you do."

Martina massaged her temples.

"Quintana, launch a missile to scare off the Military Academy's carrier fleet. Even if we can delay them for a day, it's worth it," Martina commanded.

Quintana stood her ground, "The position is locked down. Firing isn't an option."

"Is that so..." Martina and Egil exchanged a glance.

"In that case, we need to revise our plan," Egil remarked.

"Indeed, it seems we three must present a united front to make them hesitate," Martina summed up.

Quintana sized up Martina, then Egil. "How come you two are in such sync? You're not actually... an item, are you?"

Ignoring Quintana's absurd comment, she focused on how the three academies could collaborate to avoid being dominated by the Military Academy, which was due to arrive first.

Quintana and Martina's people were already in cahoots, so there was no issue there.

The real challenge lay with the students from Azure Dragon Garden.

Getting them to cooperate was out of the question! Once the Military Academy's aircraft carrier arrived, it would be a miracle if the traditionally allied Azure Dragon Garden students didn't betray Egil, the so-called traitor, for conspiring with Willoughby and causing the deaths of Military Academy personnel.

Egil had anticipated this. However, Martina had effortlessly resolved the issue.

The previous night, Ivar and his team had cleaned up the bodies, and Martina had altered the surveillance footage to show Egil in action. They played it for the Azure Dragon Garden students.

Realizing the imminent danger upon the warship's arrival, the Azure Dragon Garden students promptly agreed to collaborate with Egil to counter the Military Academy.

Even Professor Merle, feeling somewhat better, took the initiative to guide everyone through their testimonies.

Martina and Quintana led their respective groups in the same effort.

Consequently, the task of greeting the arriving carrier fleet fell squarely on Egil's shoulders.

Each one was a sly old fox.

To lower the enemy's guard, Egil didn't use his military status. Instead, he masqueraded as an Azure Dragon Garden professor, Prof. Lloyd.

Sitting in the car, he watched the landing ship's lights draw nearer and smiled to himself.

Heh, he'd actually become a professor. Egil reminisced about when he first met Martina and had been mistaken for one.

The landing craft crushed the ice beneath its weight, advancing relentlessly until it halted before Egil. Whether traversing sea, ice, or land, its pace remained unbroken.

Egil let out a whistle. The Drautera sure were fierce. He turned his vehicle around and started to lead the way.

The landing craft made its way directly to the entrance of the Underground Base, but it was simply too large to fit inside. A group of soldiers clad in polar military gear disembarked from the vessel.

"I'm Egil, a professor at Azure Dragon Garden," Egil said, offering his hand.

"Mark didn't come?" The other party clearly wasn't interested in a handshake.

The sound of weapons being readied filled the air as dozens of gun barrels aimed at Egil.

Was this a Drautera's idea of a greeting? Egil quickly recited the prepared story.

"Captain Mark led the warriors from four academies to the stone gate, but tragically, they were all annihilated by the ancient monster flower, a holy beast!"