“Excuse me. Are you Shu and Rio?”

We were in the middle of practicing sniping magic along the coastline, away from the port, when someone called out to us.

“Yes, that’s us.”

The woman who addressed us had short green hair and wore a uniform I had seen before. It looked military—probably from the Imperial Army. It resembled the outfits I had seen at the city entrance before.

“I am Wendy Valdaros, a company commander in the Imperial Army.”

“Huh.”

So she really was from the Imperial Army. But what did a company commander want with us?

Not that I had a clear idea of how high that rank was. I’d just assume she was someone important enough.

“Actually, I’ve come to request your participation in the Imperial Army’s Sea Emperor Turtle subjugation operation—on the recommendation of S-rank adventurer Linford.”

A subjugation operation against the Sea Emperor Turtle, huh…

I wasn’t keen on interference, but knowing what they were up to would be useful. However, I didn’t want any annoying restrictions placed on us.

“Haha, no need to be so wary. The truth is, the military simply wants to keep track of strong individuals. Cooperation would be ideal.”

She spread her arms dramatically, offering a wry smile. If Linford was backing this, it might not be a bad deal.

“Hmm…”

“At least hear me out. That would be a great help.”

She seemed to be trying to negotiate a middle ground, showing more humility than I expected.

“Fine, we’ll listen.”

“Thank you.”

Wendy’s face lit up at my response. I got the feeling she was just following orders.

The Sea Emperor Turtle had drawn significantly closer to the city. It now resembled a floating island, but there was no mistaking that it was a turtle.

The previous adventurer-led assault, which we had participated in, had ended in failure. Later investigations confirmed that we had failed to divert its course. At this rate, it was expected to make landfall in a few days.

Wendy led us along the coastline. Since this request had come through the guild, we stopped by the Adventurer’s Guild first before heading toward a restricted military facility past the cape.

The port was occupied by massive ships—far larger than anything I had seen in the fishing harbor. Beyond the warehouses, piers extended out, where more ships were docked. They were all equipped with what appeared to be cannons, unmistakably military vessels.

“Are you planning to attack the turtle with those ships?”

“Yes, that’s the plan.”

There seemed to be more than ten warships. If each carried a hundred soldiers, that would mean over a thousand personnel. The port beyond the cape was larger than I had expected. It looked like a significant force had been gathered—far more than the group we had seen outside the city entrance.

We entered a particularly reinforced-looking building past the warehouses, but at the entrance, a guard stopped us.

“Your familiar cannot enter the facility.”

“Understood. Nir, behave yourself.”

“Wafu…”

Nir’s ears and tail drooped, but there was no helping it. After leaving him in the army’s care, we proceeded inside, ascending the stairs to the farthest room on the second floor. Wendy knocked on the door.

“It’s Wendy. I’ve brought them.”

“Enter.”

Inside, two men were seated on sofas—one an elderly man with neatly groomed white hair and beard, and the other with red hair streaked with white.

“Good work.”

“…They’re younger than I expected.”

Wendy straightened her posture and saluted, while the two men scrutinized us with assessing gazes.

“I am Wolfram Vogel, commander of the Second Division.”

“I am Dogesha Lagroi, Corps Commander. So, you two are the adventurers Linford spoke of…”

“We are C-rank adventurers, Shu and Rio.”

I had no idea what Linford had told them, so I simply introduced ourselves. Though now that I thought about it, Dogesha Lagroi’s name sounded familiar…

Oh, right. He was the father of the man who had issued the request to capture Ivan and Phonia. I had nearly burst out laughing when I first heard his name, so it had stuck in my memory. I hadn’t expected to meet him in person.

Judging by his lack of reaction, he had no idea we had taken on his son’s request.

“Let’s get straight to the point. In two days, we will launch an attack on the Sea Emperor Turtle.”

As I endured the unpleasant stares, Wolfram abruptly spoke. Dogesha followed up immediately.

“The military is in charge of the operation, so refrain from interfering.”

…Huh?

I glanced at Wendy, who wore a slightly troubled expression. I had sensed something was off the moment we entered, and now I was certain—these guys had no intention of cooperating.

“We may have been powerless against it 150 years ago, but do you really think we haven’t progressed since then? We have developed new weaponry. You will soon witness our power firsthand.”

Wolfram spoke with conviction, and Dogesha nodded in agreement. So, this was about revenge? And they were telling us to stay out of it?

Military-grade weaponry, huh. That piqued my interest. I had seen magic guns before, but their firepower wasn’t particularly impressive.

—Well, fine. We’ll stay put until the military makes its move.

Just as I was about to say that, a commotion erupted outside the room. The door burst open without a knock, and a soldier rushed in, his face pale.

“T-Trouble! The Sea Emperor Turtle… It’s moving!”