The Special Forces descended to the ground at terminal velocity. As soon as they reached the desired height for chute deployment, they pulled their chutes, deploying their parachutes that slowed their descent.
It took another minute for them to make landfall at their drop location. Speaking of drop location, it was nothing but a plain isolated forest located deep in the mountain where it could easily get lost. During the mission debrief, they were tasked to memorize the topographical map of the mountain so that if things went wrong and must evacuate, they will have the knowledge of the terrain, allowing them to escape.
Upon their landing, they quickly hid their parachutes into their bag and rendezvoused with the supply crates that were also dropped along with them.
"Okay, carry the package, we must leave now immediately. We are twenty minutes away from the meetup location."
The Special Forces acknowledged their captain's command as they carried the supply crates containing armaments and equipment. There are three crates in total, with each requiring two people to carry.
To those who didn't carry the crate, they served as guards with their eyes warily observing the surroundings with their weapons drawn as they headed out to the forest.
The rough, muddy, and even terrain made it hard for the Special Forces to traverse smoothly in the forest, but nevertheless, they overcame it. Twenty minutes later, the Captain checked his compass and map, performing mathematical calculations in his head.
He looked around his surroundings and clicked his tongue. "According to this map and my calculation, we have arrived at the meeting point. But it's weird, I don't see any people, never mind human footprints on the soil."
"Maybe they are running late?" one of the special forces suggested, earning an incredulous look from the Captain.
"That's impossible, according to our intelligence, they are supposed to meet us up here in a given time," the captain checked his watch. "They are five minutes late..."
As the captain was having his thoughts run out loud, six of the special forces scanned the surroundings. The woods were silent and there was no sign that anything was lurking around their position.
"Sir, still negative on the visual. Maybe we arrived in the wrong location?"
"Didn't you listen to the words I just said earlier? I told you we are in the right location. Geez," the captain mumbled before he sighed loudly.
"Then what should we do? We are too vulnerable in this position. Hell, we aren't even sure if the Yamato has located the Righteous Army's base of operations and been overrun."
"That's not possible," the captain argued. "Our intel is extremely thorough, we are certain that the Righteous Army is hiding someplace here within these mountains, we have pinpointed its location already and made contact with them with one of our secret agents. They'll arrive here, maybe they are just running late just like this man said. Anyways, your concern over our security and vulnerability is warranted. So keep your eyes open and stay sharp for whatever happens. Should they not arrive here after ten minutes, we will have to call it in."
After he gave out his instructions, the Special Forces started spreading out. They each took positions while weaving between trees for cover.
One of the Special Forces suddenly stopped his tracks when he saw something moving in the tree line.
He immediately pressed his earpiece in his ear with a finger and alerted his team.
"Captain, we got an element moving from the north."
Each special force received the transmission, and once they did, they immediately sprang up into action. by drawing their weapons and heading towards the location of their fellow soldier who reported the sighting. He was hiding behind the tree with a gun only covertly sticking out, so they won't easily find him.
"Hold your ground, we are heading towards your position. Can you identify who is coming? Is it the Yamato Army or the Righteous Army?"
The special forces who sighted people approaching scanned their appearance through Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight scope. Exclusive equipment for the Ruthenian Special Forces.
"They are not wearing the standardized uniform of the Yamato Army, so negative on that one. As for the Righteous army, well I can't identify if they are wandering civilians or part of the Righteous Army..." the special forces reported equivocally, still trying to figure out the nature of the people approaching.
"How many of them are there? Are they armed?" The captain followed with other questions.
The special forces peered through his scope again.
"There are about three people walking towards my position, they are armed with possibly a bolt-action rifle or a flintlock rifle. I can't tell since their clothes are getting in the way."
"They could be from the Righteous Army. Hold your position, we are coming to you now…"
"Uhm…there's a situation, captain." the special forces said in a troubled tone.
"Why what happened?" the captain asked.
"Well, there is a person who snuck up behind me with a rifle aiming at my head at point-blank range," the special forces disclosed calmly.
Hearing that, the captain of the group tensed up and immediately ordered his men to halt their advance. The captain then looked around and saw ten to twenty figures appearing from all sides with their weapons trained at them.
Men, women, and children were surrounding them at a safe distance. Although they've aimed their weapons back at them. The special forces are in a very open position with little to no cover, should a gunfight erupt, they will suffer casualties.
They don't look like they are from the Yamato Army, so they are from the Righteous Army. In that case, he has to introduce himself.
"My name is Captain Vasili Andrenov of the Ruthenian Army Special Forces. We are here to meet up with the Righteous Army," Vasili introduced himself in the Chosonese language. Although it didn't come out smooth, it was more than enough for the real Chosonese to understand what he was saying.
Immediately after they heard the man's introduction, the militia exchanged glances with one another, as if his name rings a bell.
"So you're the one we are expecting to meet here huh?" a feminine voice sounded from the right.
Vasili turned his head towards the source. Her figure is covered from head to toe with only her eyes showing. From her voice alone, he deduced that she was young, probably around her mid-twenties, maybe even lower.
Although it was a sweet voice, it won't matter if he can't understand it.
"I'm sorry...I don't speak Chosonese fluently," Vasili said, one of the phrases he memorized from the manual book.
The concealed lady beckoned her comrades to lower their weapons. They complied and the lady approached him.
Vasili's men noticed the hostility waning so they lowered their rifles as well. But their eyes remained on them, prepared to attack any moment if they did anything funny.
When the lady approached in front of Vasili, she removed the cloth covering her face, causing her brown hair to cascade down her shoulders and revealing her gorgeous face that gives off noble vibes and is accompanied by a beautiful smile that made him whistle inwardly.
The lady reached her hand forward and extended it toward him.
Vasili hesitated for a moment as he looked at her hand but decided to take it anyway.
"And you are?" Vasili asked for her name.
"Gang Eun-Ae, I'm the leader of the Righteous Army in this province."
