I explored the underground.
Just as I thought.
It didn't match the blueprints. This place had been prepared quite a long time ago.
Pipes fixed to the ceiling stretched down to the rainwater drainage channels. I crouched to inspect the groove.
"My Lord, is something the matter?"
I pulled out a metal multi-purpose knife and scooped some mud from the channel.
"Amphipods—subterranean shrimp."
Technically, amphipods weren't actually shrimp, but that didn't really matter.
"What about them?"
"If there are shrimp here, this probably isn't rainwater; it's groundwater. Unless this is an environment where shrimp fall from the sky. If we assume it's groundwater leakage... they might have dug quite deep."
I couldn't say for certain since we were still near the surface, but the wildlife was remarkably similar to what you'd find on the Imperial Capital Planet. Latarnia's organisms were subtly different. Usually, these kinds of creatures invaded new environments by hitching a ride on humans. Did they share common ancestors with the Taikyoku Nation?
Investigating that wasn't exactly my job, though.
"In other words... watch out for cave-ins. All right, back to work. Deploy the exploration drones and contact Nina-san."
"Sir!"
After rescuing the shopkeepers, we brought in the containers and deployed the four-wheel-drive drones.
"Nina-san, drone deployment complete."
"Oka—y."
Since Kevin was serving as commander this time, we couldn't use the spider-types. I had to rely on Nina-san.
The Galactic Empire's—or rather, the Kamishiro clan's—manpower shortage was finally starting to affect our operations.
Melissa and Claire approached.
"I found an underground parking lot and a service elevator leading to the surface over there."
"Is the elevator functional?"
"It wouldn't move."
"Let's take a look."
Something about it bothered me. We all headed for the parking lot.
It wasn't the self-drive type where drivers park their own cars; it was a mechanical system where you pull up to the entrance and the machine stores the vehicle. We managed to get into the staff backyard. The entrance was wide enough for heavy machinery to pass through. Moving through it, we reached the underground loading entrance for the tenants.
However, the ceiling had collapsed, leaving the area half-crushed. It was impossible to get inside from the exterior.
"I've finished mapping the underground shopping center," Nina-san announced over the comms.
Looking at the map, I noticed the underground loading entrance and the parking lot were absurdly large. Over half of the underground facility was dedicated to parking and loading facilities. There weren't enough customers to justify such a massive space.
Was there a factory down here?
I see. They must have used this area as a hub to expand the underground.
Following my hunch, I explored the workers' backyard, hopping off the heavy machinery to start throwing open doors.
"Is anyone there? We've come to rescue you!"
As long as I shouted that, I could open as many doors as I liked. Locked doors? I just kicked them in. I had to worry about sparks if there was a gas leak, but everything seemed fine so far. Honestly, a collapse caused by the groundwater was the scariest threat. Speed was of the essence.
I found a person slumped on the ground and carried them out. It was a security guard. He was clutching tools that looked different from those used in the Galactic Empire. Looking closer, it seemed he had been trying to dismantle a duct.
"I think it's this way."
The moment I said it, everyone scrambled to rip the cover off the duct.
"Hey, there's no need to rush."
"Leo, your intuition is basically a confirmed fact at this point!" Claire snapped.
"When the Captain says something like that, it means we need to hurry!" Melissa added.
I felt a little wounded by their intensity. How tragic for me. Being too trusted had its own set of problems.
Inside, we found a space far too large to be a simple ventilation duct. Come to think of it, the ducts themselves were big enough for a grown man to move through with ease. There was a door at the far end. It was locked, so I kicked it down and stepped through.
"Kevin, I found a hidden passage."
"Roger that! Have Nina-chan map it with her drones."
I deployed a drone to scout ahead. It played a recorded announcement: "We are the Latarnia Kingdom International Humanitarian Aid Unit. Survivors, please follow the instructions of the Latarnia soldiers and evacuate to the surface."
From a Taikyoku Nation Person's perspective, they'd probably think, Are you mocking us with this 'humanitarian' crap, you bastards?! But for us, it was the only move we had. We needed propaganda to fix Latarnia's image.
The passage ahead was well-lit. This was definitely a route commissioned by Old Man Eyens.
"Survivor found!" Nina-san reported.
Was it the old man?
I rushed to the location and found one of Old Man Eyens's subordinates. I recognized the face. My experience with field work during inspections really paid off in moments like this—connections are everything. He'd been shot in the abdomen and was huddled on the floor.
"Are you okay?!"
"Ah... Boss Leo! They came in from the subway... I made it this far, but they got me... Lord Eyens is further in... Please! He's like a father to me! You have to save him!"
"I'll do my best! Survivor found!"
I applied a medical pad to his wound as a stopgap. He was a foreign civilian, and I hadn't checked him for nanomachine allergies, so I couldn't use the high-tech stuff. That was a pain.
Still, this place connected to the subway? If I'd known that, we could have just come in that way. Purely hindsight, though.
"Where is the Third Prince?"
"Lord Eyens is protecting him... and the Third Prince's Younger Sister... please..."
The man lost consciousness. I handed him off to the soldiers and pushed deeper.
Younger sister? What do you mean? This is the first I'm hearing of this.
Gunfire echoed from ahead. A battle was already underway! We approached silently. Maybe it was a stroke of luck that we hadn't come through the subway after all; we were in a perfect position to take the advantage. Again, hindsight. I'd have to hold a reflection meeting about the overall sloppiness of the operation later. This is where my lack of experience shows.
[Urgent Recruitment: A veteran officer to tell me when I'm being an idiot.]
After that brief moment of self-reflection, I used a small flying-type drone to scout the skirmish. Lord Eyens was there, along with a young guy I recognized. The opposing force consisted of what were likely regular soldiers in combat suits—the Taikyoku Nation.
I activated my optical camouflage and crept up behind a soldier who was spraying a pulse machine gun. I wrapped my arm around his neck.
Snap.
I wasn't the only one. Melissa, Claire, and Raven-kun were systematically neutralizing them. By the time they noticed us, a third of their force was already down. Too late.
I used my wooden sword to bash a soldier's head, knocking him out right through his helmet. Whack.
"Taking down soldiers in combat suits in a single hit... your power is as inhuman as ever," Melissa whispered with a grin, after striking an enemy's throat and dropping him.
Claire gave a gentle, affectionate smile while locking a soldier in a headlock. His helmet crumpled under the pressure. He was out cold.
"Whew. Area suppressed."
At that, one of Old Man Eyens's subordinates raised his hands.
"That monster-like fighting style! It's Boss Leo! Please don't attack us!!!"
So much for being trusted.