As planned, the Musou Iron Cavalry Corps was heading toward Krinaberry. However, Jean called Fistina and me aside for a private consultation.

“The Musou Iron Cavalry Corps will openly march into Krinaberry, but I want to move the unit executing the mission closer to the Raddle Neutral Zone’s base in secret.”

“Are you saying we should handle that? Wouldn’t a covert mission like this be better suited for Emina’s unit?”

“Feri is indispensable for persuading the two heroes, and Fistina is well-versed in the crimson machines that are central to the Raddle Neutral Zone’s forces. She’s the perfect fit for this mission.”

“Well, if you put it that way, I guess it makes sense. But Mayu’s Alvion is way too big for a covert operation. Maybe we should just leave it behind.”

“Mayu would be furious if she heard that. Still, your concern is valid. According to Rafishal, Alvion has a function that prevents it from being detected by any scanning equipment. As long as it isn’t spotted visually, it should be fine.”

“Is that true?”

“What? You didn’t know that?”

“Anyway, with your team and Fistina’s unit, we should have sufficient combat strength. I’m counting on you.”

It’s true that Fistina’s unit is an elite force, even from my perspective. But the issue isn’t just about combat strength.

“Do you really think Fistina and I can handle such a challenging mission alone?”

“I’d be worried if it were just you, but with Fistina, it should be fine.”

“What do you think, Fistina? If you’re not confident, it’s better to speak up now.”

I turned to Fistina, who had been silently listening.

“I will give my all to any mission I am assigned.”

“Do you think this operation will succeed?”

“If you are with us, it most likely will. You and Arleo II possess that much power.”

Hearing such high praise from the stunningly beautiful Fistina made me feel a bit embarrassed. Jean, noticing my flushed face, burst out laughing.

“So, there you have it, Yuta. You can do this.”

“Man, I really don’t like complicated missions like this.”

Our mission was to infiltrate the enemy’s base as discreetly as possible, approach the heroes, persuade them through Feri, then rescue Yukiha and escape. It might sound simple, but executing this in an enemy base with tens of thousands of Magicrafts present seemed nearly impossible. Honestly, it’d feel less stressful if they just told us to destroy all tens of thousands of them.

In any case, Fistina’s unit and mine were designated as the task force for the hero retrieval and Yukiha’s rescue. The rest of the Musou Iron Cavalry Corps would act as decoys and provide support.

As planned, before reaching our destination, Fistina’s unit and mine quietly broke away from the main force of the Musou Iron Cavalry Corps. My unit consisted of 100 machines, and Fistina’s had 300, making up a total of 400 machines. In this battlefield, we were a remarkably small detachment, chosen because we were just strong enough to remain inconspicuous while conducting a covert operation.