Summoning Japan: Flights of the Fancy

Chapter 2 - Operation Ragnarök

The Chief of the Air Staff, who compiled the plan for the recon mission on Ragna, submitted the operational outline to the Minister of Defense through the Joint Staff Headquarters to obtain approval, as the scale of the operation had exceeded the initial estimates.

The Defense Minister presented the operational plan at the cabinet meeting.

"Is it true that the government of the Gra Valkas Empire is not functioning?" asked the Prime Minister.

"Verifying that is the purpose of this operation," the Defense Minister asserted.

"However, is it worth investing such a scale and budget for mere reconnaissance?" questioned the Minister of Finance, who received a memo from bureaucrats.

"What are you saying!? Correct information is the source of correct decisions. Reconnaissance may be subtle, but it often involves more important matters than combat," the Defense Minister retorted with some determination.

"Is this operational plan subtle?" countered the equally determined Finance Minister.

"Enough. This operation will be carried out. I believe it is worth it," the Prime Minister declared, and with that, the implementation of the reconnaissance operation was decided.

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Honda descended from the C-130H and set foot on the land of the Mu Continent. The development of the XRF-15DJ would be taken over by the Air Development and Test Wing, and he was sent from Gifu to Mu. The equipment brought with Honda was unloaded from the C-130H.

"Are you Honda-san from the ATLA?" a member of the Air Self-Defense Force approached him.

"Yes, that's me. You are?"

"First Lieutenant Fukai, pilot of the RF-4E."

Fukai extended his right hand, and Honda reciprocated with a handshake.

"I heard you brought the equipment for Operation Ragnarök. Is that it?" Fukai pointed at the pure white object unloaded from the C-130H.

"Yes, that's right. It's a dust collection pod originally designed for monitoring North Korea's nuclear tests. It collects dust in the atmosphere to check for any contamination with radioactive substances."

Fukai touched his cleanly shaved blue chin.

"Are you suspecting that Mirishial used nuclear—well, here, it's called Core Magic?"

"Not exactly. I've heard the main purpose is to gather normal atmospheric pollutants."

"Oh."

"You can find out quite a lot just by examining dust in the air, or so I've heard. I'm not an analyst, so I don't know the details."

"We're going to hang that thing and fly over the enemy capital, right?"

"Yes, it's equipment for the T-4, so we brought the pylons to attach it to the RF-4E as well."

"It looks like it would cause a lot of air resistance. Can it be used at supersonic speeds?"

"I don't think so. It has only been proven with the transonic T-4, and supersonic use was not considered during the design phase."

Fukai scratched his head. "I need to consult with the Commander about this."

Seemingly realizing that his message might not have been well-received, Honda noticed, but his curiosity couldn't be suppressed.

"About the operation name you mentioned earlier, Ragnarök, what does that mean?"

"It's a pun for the Norse mythology's final war Ragnarök by combining 'Ragna' and 'look,' actually."