Chapter 115 – Pacific Fleet (2)

Though a massive nuclear-powered submarine, being a submarine the interior was quite cramped.

The submarine crew was very curious about us, but the U.S. soldiers and David thoroughly blocked their questions.

Instead we toured the interior while the submarine moved.

“This world has so many amazing vehicles. A ship that moves underwater – to think they could make such things without mages.”

While Hoffman looked around the submarine with wonder, Zahina placed her hand on the submarine wall and flowed mana.

“Deep sea all around. No undead in this area.”

She was checking the surroundings by flowing mana beyond the submarine.

Fortunately there seemed to be no undead yet in the southern Yellow Sea.

While the two examined the submarine and sea, Ye-rim walked around the submarine interior treating people.

Thanks to Ye-rim’s holy power, people mentally strained from long submarine life regained stability.

As a result, when we left the submarine, many crew members called Ye-rim a benefactor and holy maiden.

The submarine kept moving southwest of Jeju Island, arriving soon after in the middle of the East China Sea, 200 kilometers west of Shanghai.

Early dawn, the submarine surfaced.

Shortly after we exited the submarine, we saw numerous ships floating on the sea.

Many destroyers and cruisers. And in the center, a massive aircraft carrier.

Hoffman wore a dazed expression seeing the giant ships.

We headed to the aircraft carrier by rubber boat.

Planes kept taking off and landing on the slowly moving carrier.

There were planes with huge radar on their backs, sleek fighters, and large drones.

Soon we boarded the intimidating carrier and greeted a soldier with three stars.

Passing the massive deck, we entered the ship and met a balding older man in what looked like a conference room.

“Welcome. Fleet Commander Mark Hockanson. Welcome to the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group of the 7th Fleet.”

The middle-aged man with three stars on his shoulders extended his hand to me.

I took and shook his hand.

“Indeed, you receive our greetings well too. I hear you’ve only been in our world about a month, but as heard your thinking is quite flexible.”

Could this be another kind of test?

“Must have been tough coming by submarine, please sit first.”

He had us sit in the conference room chairs.

A conference room with a large screen on one wall and long table surrounded by chairs in the center.

Though the room could hold over 10 people, only he, David, and our party were inside.

Simple refreshments were on the long table but no one touched them.

Once all were seated, I spoke first.

“First I should hear why you brought us all the way here. Though we followed orders, we didn’t really need to come here.”

Though the helicopter crashed midway, that alone wasn’t reason for us to come all the way to the East China Sea.

We could have returned to Daejeon by land along the coast, or found an abandoned ship to return.

Though we came here under the Expeditionary Force Commander’s orders to observe Korean and U.S. forces, we didn’t know why America brought us here.

“Ah, seems it wasn’t properly explained. It was the President’s order. Seems the President wanted to see directly before approving the plan.”

“Directly?”

Did that mean the U.S. President was here? If not, surely they weren’t telling us to go to America?

Fortunately it was neither.

“As you know, the Korean Peninsula currently has severe signal interference. Though we urgently opened some satellite phone lines, even voice calls keep cutting out making contact difficult. Video calls are impossible in that situation.”

As the fleet commander spoke, David pressed a remote control button on the table.

A projector hanging from the ceiling lit up, brightening the screen wall.

“Though interference zones keep growing, video conferences with the mainland are still possible here via satellite.”

As his words finished, an image appeared on the wall screen.

Inside showed a conference room often seen in movies in my previous life.

It was the White House conference room.

Many people were gathered in the room.

People in suits sat on one side, elderly military officers on the other.

And in the center sat the elderly man who was U.S. President in my previous life too.

Seems he won re-election.

The elderly man looked at us and muttered in admiration:

“Truly, a Knight and an elf.”

Indeed, this wasn’t translated.

“Really, a knight and elf.”

Though I understood what was said thanks to previous life memories, David interpreted beside me.

Looking carefully, a camera was mounted above the screen.

Just as we watched them through the screen, they watched us through the camera.

Though this too was like magic, neither Zahina nor Hoffman found it strange.

Though they hadn’t seen video calls this size, both had experienced crystal ball communication.

“The President of the United States.”

Though I already knew, I nodded at David’s introduction then introduced myself and party members.

“So you’re the U.S. President. I am Jansen Egger, Free Knight. And…”

Though it would have been nerve-wracking in my previous life, I felt nothing now.

After my introduction, the President looked at me curiously and spoke:

“We’ve been watching your activities through screens. Amazing activities, amazing skills.

Though we saw the incredible elder who crossed the Gate recently, you all alone surprised me and those gathered here.”

Was it because we were people from another world?

Never thought they’d openly say they’d been watching us continuously via satellite.

In my previous life it would have been grounds for privacy violation lawsuit, but unfortunately lawsuits were impossible now.

But I could say one thing:

“How strange. People of this world can just watch secretly like that?”

“Ah… I made a mistake. I apologize.”

“Say that before nobles and gloves would fly.”

Hoffman nodded at my words.

The President shook his head at my words and spoke again:

“We’ll be careful from now on. Though I’d like to apologize more and talk more, unfortunately we don’t have much time… I called you all because there are some things I wanted to ask.”

The President got straight to the point. Certainly the U.S. President must be busy.

Since I came by orders anyway, I nodded at his words.

“Please speak.”

Afterwards the U.S. President and others asked me and party members various things.

Life in that world and fighting the Demon King’s army, living here for a month and impressions from then.

While asking and answering, I seemed to understand what they wanted to know.

“So you want to know if we can be trusted.”

“Got us again. Were we too obvious in asking?”

The President made a troubled expression at my words.

He put away the documents he was holding, shook his head and said to me:

“That’s right. Your activities and words of those who crossed the Gate were hard to easily believe.

A Demon King raising zombies and skeletons, plus a world of heroes and mages. This isn’t fiction, no one in the cabinet could easily believe it.”

At his words others sighed and leaned back in their chairs.

“It wasn’t easy making plans believing those words. So we had to see directly. You all who came here first and we’ve watched for a month. And had to confirm your thoughts.”

In the end, seems we were chosen as samples to understand that world.

I scratched my head and said:

“Well, as you probably gathered from our talk so far, actually there’s no difference from this world. Just bigger gaps in information and class, both are worlds where humans live. Plus now with the Demon King rampaging, even more similar.”

After finishing I looked at Zahina, and she agreed with my words.

“That’s right. From my month of study, humans of Ea and this world were fundamentally the same humans. Though life was slightly different with science instead of magic, even to me as a daughter of the World Tree they appear as the same race.”

Perhaps from staying with her continuously, I noticed Zahina’s expression briefly darken when saying daughter of the World Tree.

“…Indeed it seems so. Just need to deal with it like another country.”

At the President’s words that seemed like a sigh, I added one piece of advice:

“And the royal family, especially the Empire’s royal family, has strong pride. More than any humans you know. Remember that.”

If America was this world’s sole superpower, the Empire was the continental ruler controlling half the continent.

Moreover that Empire’s royal family were descendants of heroes who saved the continent from the Demon King’s hands in the past.

Naturally what they had wasn’t just honor and power.

“…Thank you. Though it’s inadequate as repayment, if you need anything please tell Lieutenant General Hockanson.”

From the President’s words I knew this interview was ending.

I asked before he disappeared:

“So U.S. military forces will return to the Korean Peninsula?”

At my words everyone on the opposite side of the screen froze.

The President stared at me then sighed.

“…You noticed that too. But are you really an ordinary knight? Or are knights in that world all so insightful?”

Honestly speaking most knights were ignorant. But I couldn’t say that truth.

“Same as this world. Different for each person.”

The President nodded at my words.

“Yes, that’s right. Now we know the cause, we must eliminate it. America will destroy the Demon King.”

Though ordinary words, coming from the U.S. President they carried different weight.

If really struggling they could pour nuclear bombs, so even the Demon King couldn’t take it lightly.

“Besides forces defending the mainland, all U.S. military will deploy to East Asia. Must block more Demon King forces from emerging and take the Demon King’s head. You all will work together then.”

I shook my head at the President’s words.

“That will be with the newly chosen hero’s group.”

The President showed a strange smile at my words.

“Will it?”

With those words the screen went dark.