Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 684 - 677: In the Name of the Headquarters

Chapter 684: Chapter 677: In the Name of the Headquarters

"So, can I assume that Headquarters’ attitude towards us is a notch higher than mercenaries?" After a moment’s pause, Melia asked.

If mercenaries are not qualified to intervene in the missions of the Advance Team, why is Princess Melia’s army qualified? Does this imply that, to some extent, the Headquarters trusts Princess Melia more?

Of course, Melia doesn’t see it that way. If the headquarters truly supported her unconditionally, it would provide her with unreserved support. She could clearly sense that the headquarters was reticent and hasn’t completely trusted her. Thus, she sought to determine her standing at the headquarters through Luoer’s words.

Melia is constantly expanding her influence to the south and actively intervening in the treatment of the epidemic in Odelanqi. On the one hand, she aims to expand her sphere of influence and increase her prestige. On the other hand, she hopes to gain more support from the headquarters by showing her proactive stance.

She understands clearly that the struggle among the nations in the Otherworld is no longer decided by otherworlders. The real decision-maker is Earth, in the hands of the Earth’s high-ranking officials.

The unmodernized Otherworld seems very weak and powerless compared to Earth, just barely surviving under the protection of the magic barrier shielding otherworlders from Earth’s invasion. Yet what the otherworlders find most despairing is that the main force propelling the progress of the Otherworld’s magic is still Earth’s scientists.

"You could say that," Luoer hesitated, then looking into Melia’s eyes, he spoke with sincerity. "However, most of it is based on my personal request."

Luoer’s ambiguous response revealed the fact that the headquarters’ stance towards Melia isn’t much different from before. The main reason she was chosen for this mission is due to Luoer’s personal request.

"I see..." Melia nodded her head lightly, her expression was composed, giving no hint of her thoughts at that moment.

"As the captain of the Advance Team, Luoer has the authority to represent Headquarters and request assistance from Princess Melia. Whether it’s his personal request or not, it can be considered a request from the HQ." Cheng Ziang interjected at that moment.

Cheng Ziang could sense Melia’s hesitation. Despite her close personal affection for Luoer, it wasn’t enough to guarantee she could mobilize her troops for him. For Melia, interests come first, and personal feelings have to be put aside.

Luoer was relying on his private friendship with Melia to mobilize troops. But to put it harshly, he was overrating himself. From Melia’s perspective, only profitable matters warranted her intervention. If Luoer was requesting assistance as an individual, then Melia wouldn’t be likely to help. However, if he was backed by the HQ, the situation would be different.

In this particular aspect, Cheng Ziang thought Luoer had made a fundamental error. Though Melia’s attitude towards him was ambivalent, she was capable of compartmentalizing business and personal affairs, and it was unlikely she would mix them up.

"If it’s a request from the HQ, then I totally agree and will respond actively," Upon hearing Cheng Ziang’s words, Melia revealed a faint smile and then said with her eyelids lowered, "Luoer, I consider all of you as friends, so I won’t mince my words. If it’s just your personal request, I don’t think you have the capability to mobilize my troops. As it stands, I am quite weak and need more support and assistance from the HQ. If you can procure more aid from the headquarters in your personal capacity, then no matter what you request, I can fulfill it."

"Yes, I understand..." Luoer coughed slightly, lowering his head in embarrassment.

Luoer’s behavior was within Cheng Ziang’s expectations, but to his surprise, Melia put the matter upon the table. It seemed that Melia genuinely regarded Luoer as a friend and didn’t beat around the bush with him.

"The Advance Team has the authority to mobilize all resources of the HQ during missions, without the need for approval from decision makers. Hence, Princess Melia need not worry. Whatever debts we, the Advance Team, incur, someone will naturally help us pay them back." Cheng Ziang added smoothly.

"I trust your words. In that case, I would be grateful if you could elaborate on what you need us to do!" Melia nodded in approval.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Ziang gently nudged Luoer with his foot and gave him a look. Luoer was startled out of his daze and hurriedly explained the mission requirements.

"Within the territory of Odelanqi on the west bank of the Roen River, our aerial fleet is tracking and monitoring more than fifty teams of carriages. We suspect that our enemy is hiding within these carriages and is trying to transport our lost goods to the ferry by carriage, and then take a boat down the river to Yazhi City. Therefore, we implore Princess Melia to dispatch troops into the territory of Odelanqi to set up checkpoints to intercept these carriages and inspect them one by one in search of our lost goods." Luoer coughed once and said solemnly.

"Do you realize what it means to delegate Masya’s army to set up checkpoints and intercept convoys within Odelanqi territory on the west bank?" Melia raised her eyelid and asked upon hearing Luoer’s words.

"We do," Luoer nodded.

"The cost of such a move is quite high. Is headquarters really prepared to pay handsomely for it?" Melia asked, looking at Luoer.

Luoer lowered his head in silence for a moment before raising his head and responding firmly, "They are. The Advance Team, being directly under the command of the headquarters, has the privileges to mobilize resources without internal review."

"Very well, then I agree. I will send out troops to set up checkpoints and intercept them across the river, and I will inform you as soon as we have any news." Melia finished talking, picked up the tea cup on the table, and flashed a satisfied smile.

"Since this is settled, we will take our leave. We have more work to finish." Once the negotiation was settled, Luoer was eager to leave.

"There’s no rush, you have yet to inform us of the characteristics of your goods. And how should we contact you if we find the goods while you are back in your air fleet?" Melia took a sip of hot tea, then looked at Luoer with enticing eyes, which made Tangmo beside them increasingly unsettled.

"Um..." Luoer was taken aback by Melia’s comments. Meanwhile, Cheng Ziang pulled him down and whispered in his ear, "After Melia’s army finds the goods, we could immediately fly to the destination from here using a transport plane and notify the aerial fleet for support. There’s no need to return to the fleet. This way we can keep in touch with Melia."

"Alright," Luoer glanced at Cheng Ziang, then again at Melia, nodded and said, "In this case, we’ll obey and trouble the princess for a while."

"Delighted to!" Melia put down her tea cup with a slight smile spread across her face.

The discerning could clearly see that Melia was intent on keeping Luoer around. Cheng Ziang’s words made sense - when her army found the virus and engine, the Advance Team could immediately go after the cargo from their base, without returning to the air fleet. By doing so, the team could coordinate more effectively with Melia’s army. The alternative risked friendly fire with Melia’s army.

The main problem lied in establishing battlefield communication. Magic messengers like usage of one-to-one communication system, therefore each communication had to be established individually.

The headquarters were abundant in resources and talents. Hence, they could establish ad hoc messenger communications readily. However, for the majority of the forces in the Otherworld, setting up a magic messenger was considered a luxury. Even powers under the support of the headquarters like Melia’s could not simply establish one as they wished.

The Magic Messenger’s one-to-one communication was somewhat similar to wired telephones on Earth. Hence, the Earth people had been trying to convert the Otherworld’s magic communication to wired telecommunication. However, due to the lack of materials and research on magic, they had not yet mass-produced any practical machines.

At the current stage, Earth people’s basic application of science research on the magic of Otherworld was to transform magic into existing laws and concepts on Earth. Then, through these laws and concepts, they would replicate Earth’s applied technology.

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