Progressing from Arasaka: Chapter 180

Date of birth: July 10, 2000 (Chinese calendar).

"Inform Lord Ron to bring back my Eleven Task Force as soon as possible. Although it is better to have fewer but better personnel, try to meet the initial quota of 3,000 men."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Vera boarded the car.

It's time to go back to my jurisdiction.

175

Chapter 175 Coming and Going.

My three-and-a-half-day journey home has come to an end.

After bidding farewell to her mother, Vera left Camelot Palace. On the palace tarmac, she met with her close siblings, including the eldest prince Odysseus, the second prince Schneizel, the eldest princess Guinevere, and the sixth princess Karin, before boarding her private plane back to European Britannia.

Before things come to a head, a superficial friendship is still a friendship.

During her return to Pandoragon, Vera's main purpose, besides attending the final mourning ceremony for her artist half-brother Clovis, was to reconnect with her mother, uncle, supporters, blood relatives, and talented young men in her faction. Of course, the most important person she met was her biological father in this life, Emperor Charles.

In addition to giving Old Deng a detailed report on the military reform strategy, communications upgrades, light and heavy high-tech industrial planning, and the general outline of the 2017 European Britannia Calendar's operational strategy, she naturally obtained more authorization.

The bill to continuously draw honorary civilians from the District 11 outside the jurisdiction to form a special line-filling corps for the EU theater; partial intervention and command authority of the Imperial Internal Security and Foreign Intelligence Department in the European region; appropriate increase in the quota of high-refined cherry blossom stones; application for the deployment of Knights of the Round...

Burying herself deep into the leather back of the aircraft chair, Vera gazed out the window at the vast sea of clouds and the magnificent landscape, her indigo eyes fixed on the view. Her knuckles tapped rhythmically on her knees as her thoughts drifted away from the trivialities of Pandoragon and onto the Eastern Europe battlefield. In a moment of reflection, she devised a plan to retaliate against the EU's Kamikaze Special Attack: first, to provoke the refugees in District 11 and the WZERO Unit in Europe.

"Order the Order of Saint Michael to meet them at the airport."

"Let Lord Manfredi take along his favorite 'last Japanese samurai'."

The following day. * District 11, Tokyo Concession, Britannian Army garrison base.

Buzz... Buzz...

Engines roared, and the iron wing shadows cast by the V-TOL transport aircraft formation obscured the runway.

At the edge of the tarmac, Private Suzaku Kururugi of the Technical Department looked up at the group of uninvited guests from European Britannia.

Following the signals from the airport operations commander, the exchange group from the Eastern Europe battlefield disembarked from the plane.

Officers of the 11th Britannia Front saluted with their swords at their sides.

The small talk and conversation quickly began.

The handover of materials was carried out simultaneously, with forklifts and trailers frequently entering and leaving the aircraft cargo hold, and stacks of neatly piled and stacked polymer boxes and large packaged boxes being transferred out.

Inside were small mechanical constructs with propellers, missile-like aircraft with wingspan and tail fins and pylon slots, and sealed, unactivated metal constructs of varying heights and widths.

Just as Suzaku Kururugi was pondering their uses, a flippant male voice sounded from behind him, "Oh my, military prototypes from European Britannia."

Upon recognizing the voice of the person who approached, Suzaku Kururugi sighed and turned to look at them—

Walking slowly towards him was a handsome man with short, silver-gray parted hair, blue eyes, a baby face with frameless glasses, a tall and slender build, and wearing a specially made high-necked, tight-fitting white coat.

He stood awkwardly next to Suzaku, placed his hand across his forehead, stretched out his neck, and looked at the imperial soldiers from the European Britannia as if gazing into the distance.

He would occasionally let out long sighs for no apparent reason.

"Mr. Lloyd, I'm sorry, I have to withdraw from the mission."

Suzaku Kururugi said with a guilty expression, "The official military order has arrived. After the go-around inspection, I will travel with this transport formation to the Eastern Europe front."

The boy bowed to thank the researcher named Lloyd.

Lloyd Asplund.

Although he always gives people the impression of being a harmless weakling, and his comical and quirky behavior at times makes it easy for outsiders to overlook him, he is actually a hereditary Earl of Britannia.

He holds the rank of Major and is currently the Director of the Special Dispatch Guidance Technology Department in District 11, responsible for leading the development of next-generation mobile suits. His background includes affiliation with the Second Prince, Schneizel. He is a top-tier Knightmare mobile suit designer with expertise in cutting-edge weapons development.

It was he who saved Suzaku Kururugi, a soldier who had been shot and killed, during the Shinjuku Incident, and later made him the test pilot for the new seventh-generation custom machine, Lancelot.

Yes, he's a very individualistic person.

It could be said that he would have died without the other person.

Even if they were lucky enough to be rescued, they would probably still be wasting their time in the infantry platoon, and they would never be qualified to become a pilot.

Therefore, Suzaku Kururugi was extremely grateful to everyone who had been specially dispatched, even though many of his colleagues still contemptuously referred to him as a 'part'.

Lloyd remained silent, gazing in the direction of the exchange group, seemingly lost in thought.

"At a time like this, are you still going to provoke Suzaku- kun, Lloyd?"

Tap, tap.

A woman with purple hair and eyes, carrying a data tablet, walked over and said with a gentle and charming tone, "You were so upset about not being able to part with Suzaku -kun when we were in the renovation room."

"Miss Cecil."

Looking up, Suzaku Kururugi gazed gratefully at Earl Lloyd's second-in-command, Lieutenant Cécile Croomy, who was also a member of the Lancelot development team.

The other party was one of only two colleagues among the special envoys who did not view him with any discrimination.

"Aaaaaahh..."

Cecile's words only made things worse, because Lloyd immediately lost his temper. He turned around, grabbed Suzaku Kururugi's shoulders and shook him violently, exclaiming, "What a waste! What a waste! It's a complete disservice!"

"Suzaku is an elite pilot capable of handling and perfectly operating the Z-01 prototype!!"

"I finally found him. With such amazing physical abilities and reflexes, as well as his talent for operating the Knightmare, given time, he might even rival the Knights of the Round!"

"The Third Princess wants him to be cannon fodder on the Eastern Europe front? Or even carry out Suicide Attack? Oh no! No way, I absolutely won't allow it. Suzaku, a 'part' of your exceptional quality should be used to help me upgrade the Z-01. The seventh-generation fighter is not the end!"

After a series of expressive and exaggerated gestures of venting his frustration by scratching his ears and cheeks, Lloyd released Suzaku Kururugi's shoulders, spread his arms, leaned back, and said, "It's decided! Cecile!"

"I am here."

Cecile smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Our special envoy is also going to the Eastern Europe front!"

Lloyd's eyes burned with determination. "Wherever Z-01 is tested, it's all the same. Suzaku finally found one! We absolutely cannot let the Third Princess burn it like firewood!"

"Ah?"

Suzaku Kururugi opened his mouth, his eyes glazed over.

He was somewhat taken aback by Lloyd's abrupt decision.

"I..."

"Alright. Suzaku -kun. Lloyd has actually been curious about Princess Vera's military reforms and the new industrial zone plan for a long time. This time, he is just going with the flow. Moreover, the intensity of the war on the Eastern Europe front is no less than the small-scale fighting in the District 11. We are fine in the rear, but you must be mentally prepared for everything."

Cecile's serious voice interrupted Suzaku Kururugi's words. He came back to his senses, looked at the lieutenant, paused, and nodded solemnly.

Once Lloyd calmed down, he didn't refute. He simply stroked his chin and smiled as he looked at the 'imported goods' from European Britannia. Governor Cornelia's Imperial Guard had also arrived and was receiving some kind of Knightmare machine covered by a veil.

Lloyd was an expert in this area and could tell at a glance.

This aircraft's silhouette is unlike any currently in service with the Empire. It's taller and larger than the [Sunderland], and the fact that the Governor's Imperial Guard came to receive it with such solemnity, especially since it was a gift from the Third Princess, strongly suggests it's not a sixth-generation aircraft, but a seventh-generation one!

"I have no choice but to go now."

Lloyd's gaze was intense.

Suzaku Kururugi and Cecile, however, were drawn to another group of ordinary figures.

Fully armed, in heavy combat uniforms, with metal bulletproof armor, and never without their weapons.

With weapons slung across his shoulder and his exposed skin devoid of flesh color, he stood at the edge of the tarmac, leaning against the warehouse wall, conversing. Every now and then, his reddish eyes, deeply recessed in the shadow of his helmet, would meticulously scan every pedestrian and the surrounding terrain.

Just as Suzaku Kururugi was guessing their identities, the engine of a military vehicle driving into the airport roared into the air.

That was the first batch of Eleven Task Force to be recruited. *Full strength of 3,000 men.

Just as some choose to fight to the death, some have resigned themselves to their fate, and some are willing to do anything to climb up the ladder and gain a glimmer of hope, all of them are too eager to improve.

Not long after the go-around inspection was completed, the officer's rough voice echoed in Suzaku Kururugi's ears through the loudspeaker—

"Boarding!"

Meanwhile, in Saint Petersburg.

Vera slowly stepped down from the V-TOL aircraft. Looking down from above, the first thing that caught her eye was the array of armored knight aircraft in a guard of honor.

And the people who were waiting respectfully at the end of the red carpet to greet them.

After scanning the crowd, her gaze settled on a face that was clearly different from her colleagues, with distinctive makeup, hair, and style.

Shin Hyuga Shingo.

176

Chapter 176 The Grand Stage of Eastern Europe: Come If You're Served.

Clang! Clang clang clang—

The rhythmic clash of lances and the crisp sound of metal clashing echoed as Vera passed through the Knightmare ceremonial guard, which seemed to gleam with gold in the warm sunlight, and walked toward the officials who were lined up in neat columns at the end of the red carpet to greet her.

"Mao Qiqing".

"Lord Manfredi."

"Lord Shangering."

Her gaze passed over Maoqi, Fifth Knight of the Round, Michele Manfredi, the Grand Commander of the Order of Saint Michael, before finally settling on the Hyuga Family's adopted son from the Far East.

This Shin Hyuga Shingo, or rather, the descendant of the Yamato samurai whose original name Shin Hyuga, had a long, dark blue ponytail tied with a purple ribbon, her temples reaching her collarbone. She was tall and slender, with green eyes and a handsome face, one could even say she had some feminine features.

She wore a sleeveless vest with pure white gold trim, over which she wore a matching right-fastening tailcoat, with metal finger guards on her knuckles and tall riding boots.

He carried a three-foot-long sword at his waist, with a platinum scabbard.

He was quite handsome.

What a magnificent and imposing 'last Japanese samurai'!

He should be considered the one who climbed the highest and made the fastest progress among the civilians before Suzaku Kururugi's rapid rise.

It's unclear whether he truly had no parents or was an orphan who wiped out his entire family.

Vera recalled his resume.

Due to his outstanding martial arts skills, he was discovered by Manfredi and recruited into the army. He was then adopted by the extinct Hyuga Family and renamed Shin Hyuga Shingo.

Because of the rule that "in Britannia, anyone with the ability can theoretically achieve great things, even if they are just a numbered citizen," and with the backing of the unbiased and discriminatory Manfredi and the noble Hyuga Family, he smoothly rose to a high position in the Knights Order, became engaged to the only daughter of the Hyuga Family, and was the future head of a noble family in Britannia, thus officially entering the mainstream society of the Empire.

Vera didn't care about this.

No one is perfect, and everyone wants to make progress.

On the condition that you don't block my way.

Under Vera's half-smiling scrutiny, Shin Hyuga Shingo seemed to sense something, and respectfully raised his hand to his chest in a bow, lowering his head even further.

"A warm welcome to your return, Your Highness." ×N.

Amidst the rustling sounds, led by the fifth knight Moltke, the crowd respectfully knelt on one knee.

Vera stretched out her hand and raised her palm in a gesture of support, indicating to the officials that they should dispense with the formalities.

She shifted her gaze from the so-called 'Britannia samurai' to Moltke, who, as Knights of the Round, stood firmly in support of her.

This military upstart, born into a new Junker landowning family in Britannia, was not as visibly robust and powerful as Rohn, Eighth Knight, who was also a supporter of the Third Princess.

He looked to be around forty years old, with broad shoulders but a rather thin build. His beard was trimmed very thin and short, and his hair was neatly combed into a hazelnut shape. His skin was smooth, giving him the impression of a classical philosopher, rather than a Knights of the Round or general who had dominated the battlefield and intimidated Africa.

And that is indeed the case.

Compared to the Rohn, Eighth Knight, who is physically strong, skilled in swords and spears, proficient in hand-to-hand combat, and adept at breaking through in close-quarters combat and speeding left and right like lightning while piloting the Knight of Rounds special machine.