After Harborton thanked the student soldiers in the hangar and Xiao Ran, he left with Mwu and the other two. The delighted students made a racket for a while before dispersing, hurriedly packing their luggage so they could leave the Archangel at any time.
The preliminary departure time had also been set. Once the Archangel finished receiving supplies, a Shuttlecraft would come to pick up the student soldiers and take them down to Earth. About half an hour later, a discharge notice was delivered to Xiao Ran.
The instant Xiao Ran touched the notice, his entire body trembled.
"Unit 678 has obtained a special item: Earth Force Discharge Notice. Using this item allows the user to leave their current faction without penalty and grants an opportunity to choose a faction again. This item is only valid in the current world and will be reclaimed upon leaving this world."
The words that popped into his mind left Xiao Ran stunned for a moment. Then, under the puzzled gazes of the staff members, he forcibly suppressed his delight, repeatedly thanked the two of them, and carefully put the notice away. But as soon as they left, Xiao Ran immediately stored the Earth Force Discharge Notice in his Storage Slot.
"I never expected something like this to exist. Now that I have it, I don't need to worry at all about being assigned to the Eighth Fleet." Xiao Ran paced around the room joyfully, repeatedly punching the air. "I wonder if all discharge notices are items like this. But I suppose they only become items after receiving some kind of recognition. From the looks of it, betraying a faction you've already chosen comes with some kind of penalty. Good thing the plot hasn't reached the point where the Archangel arrives at Orb yet. Otherwise, I might have done something stupid."
"And this isn't the time to use it yet. Getting this really is an unexpected windfall." Xiao Ran clapped his hands and sat on the bed with a pleased grin. "I wonder what Harborton wants to talk to me about. Him saying he wanted to see me is pretty surprising."
Just as Xiao Ran was wondering what Harborton, known as a brilliant strategist, wanted to discuss with him, Miriallia and Tolle came to his room. When they saw Xiao Ran, they both wore expressions as though they wanted to say something but did not quite dare to.
The moment Miriallia and Tolle came looking for him, Xiao Ran knew what they wanted to say. Their expressions amused him, but he put on a puzzled look and asked first, "What is it? Did something happen?"
Tolle gave an embarrassed chuckle, scratched his head, and glanced at Miriallia before saying, "Teacher, I'm afraid we can't leave with you."
Xiao Ran looked stunned. "Why?"
"Kazui, Tolle, and I have decided to stay here. We heard the Archangel is heading directly down to Earth now, and we want to wait until we get there before deciding whether to leave." Miriallia lowered her head and folded her arms, not daring to meet Xiao Ran's gaze as she answered softly. "Flay has decided to enlist and stay aboard, so Sai is planning to stay with her. Sai didn't know how to tell you, so he asked us to come instead."
"So you want to stay with them?" Xiao Ran frowned and pondered for a moment, as though seriously considering it. After a while, he asked, "What about Kira?"
Tolle shook his head. "We haven't told him yet. Leaving here would probably be better for him. After all, this is the Earth Force for ordinary people."
"Whether they're ordinary people or Coordinators, you should tell him about your decision no matter what." Xiao Ran sighed, then looked at them both with a serious expression. "Have you really decided not to leave now?"
"Yes, we've decided." Miriallia and Tolle exchanged a glance before answering firmly.
Xiao Ran shook his head and smiled. "Heh. You should know that if you don't leave today, once you take part in combat again, the discharge notice will be almost useless."
"Ah!" Miriallia covered her mouth in alarm. Even Tolle's eyes widened. "No way."
Xiao Ran watched their reactions and only laughed once he saw that they were genuinely at a loss. "But I can speak with Captain Mwu and at least postpone your discharge dates a little."
"Ah, Teacher! You scared us to death!" Miriallia had been hesitant and flustered, but the instant she heard Xiao Ran's words, she realized he had been teasing them. She immediately snapped at him irritably and turned her head away.
"You little brats, I just want you to remember that once you stay here, whether you leave or remain won't be up to you anymore." Xiao Ran shook his head at them and stood up. "Go find Kira and talk to him. I'm going to see Captain Mwu."
"Then... what about you, Teacher?" Miriallia asked hesitantly just as Xiao Ran reached the door.
"You guess." Xiao Ran turned around with a faintly amused expression, then strode away, leaving Miriallia and Tolle staring blankly at each other.
When he arrived outside the Captain's Room, faint sounds of argument occasionally drifted through the tightly shut door. Xiao Ran had intended to wait outside, but one sentence made him frown and press his ear against the door.
"No. I absolutely refuse to hand G over to people whose backgrounds we know nothing about. This is our military's secret. Why should we give it to people who have only been enlisted for such a short time? There are clearly people aboard the Archangel who can pilot it!" That was Bargyll's voice.
After Bargyll finished speaking, Mu's voice reached Xiao Ran's ears as well. "But Kira might not continue piloting the Strike Gundam. He might be packing his bags and preparing to leave the Archangel right now."
Inside the Captain's Room, General Harborton was seated in the place that had originally belonged to Mwu. Mwu stood to one side with her head lowered, seemingly lost in thought, while Bargyll and Mu argued. Seeing Mu's relaxed, indifferent expression, Bargyll felt her anger rise and shouted, "Isn't there Xiao Ran? If he can pilot a Ginn, then he can definitely pilot G too. Compared with Kira and Xiao Ran, those people who displayed such ability right after entering the military are the ones who can't be trusted!"
Mwu, who had remained silent until then, abruptly raised her head after Bargyll said that. Looking at Bargyll calmly, she said, "Xiao Ran isn't a soldier. He made it very clear when he first joined the Archangel that he would not become part of the Earth Force. Asking him to officially join the Earth Force and pilot a Gundam now is unlikely."
Harborton looked at his arguing subordinates and felt a headache coming on. "You don't need to argue anymore. We, the Earth Force, do not need to rely on a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old child. Though I'm also unwilling to let those old men shove these people onto us, I have no way to refuse the reason that they're pilots for newly manufactured MS units and need to familiarize themselves with the controls. That settles it. Later, take those people directly down to Earth and head for Alaska."
"Yes!"
Xiao Ran heard everything from outside the door. Though it was not much, the contents made his pupils contract several times, and his heart began pounding uncontrollably. He had only come here because of Tolle and Miriallia, yet he had overheard such explosive news. If he had come any later, those people might have already boarded the Archangel by the time Harborton and the others finished talking, and Xiao Ran would never have known.
"Those people? People who showed such ability right after joining the military? None of this ever appeared in the plot!" Xiao Ran pulled his ear away from the door and leaned against the corridor wall with his brows tightly furrowed. "They definitely aren't Enhanced Humans. Based on the timeline, Enhanced Humans won't appear for at least a few more months. There's only one possibility: Participants. Participants who joined the Earth Force!"
Xiao Ran's breathing quickened. "How long has it been since the Second Main Mission was issued? In such a short time, they've already gained the attention and recognition of the Earth Force higher-ups? They were even ordered to join the G mission and familiarize themselves with the controls. Could the Earth Force higher-ups be preparing to customize Custom Mecha for these Participants!? Who exactly are these Participants? How could they move so quickly and have such luck, stumbling right into the main plot?"
"There probably aren't many of them. From Mwu and the others' conversation, there should only be a few. But anyone who could encounter the main plot so soon after the Second Main Mission was issued is definitely no simple character. They may have already completed several Side Missions, or perhaps they possessed powerful abilities and awakened skills even before coming to this world. Once people like that board the ship, whether they're in the same faction as me or not, they'll be my greatest threat."
Xiao Ran narrowed his eyes and lightly clenched his teeth. "I absolutely can't let them board the Archangel, and the Strike Gundam definitely can't be handed over to them. Stall. Buy time. Keep stalling until the battle starts. Cruze, I've never missed you this much before. Show up already!"
Whoosh! The Captain's Room door suddenly opened, then closed again after two people stepped out. In that instant, Xiao Ran relaxed his expression and smiled at Bargyll as she emerged.
Bargyll found it strange to see Xiao Ran there and asked with a frown, "Aren't you supposed to be packing? What are you doing here?"
"I needed to see Captain Mwu. Didn't General Harborton also want to talk to me?" Xiao Ran smiled, pushed himself lightly off the wall, and walked up to Bargyll. Spreading his hands, he said with a grin, "More importantly, I can't bear to leave you all, so I've decided to stay. Not welcome?"
"Hm?" Bargyll froze. Mu, who was about to come out behind her, was also stunned for a few seconds before finally blinking at Xiao Ran and giving him a thumbs-up.
"Haha, if you're staying, we really need to celebrate properly. I'll go prepare!" After saying that, Mu hurriedly slipped away. He felt a little guilty that Bargyll might start another argument with him over their dispute in the Captain's Room.
"Really?" Bargyll paid no attention to Mu's departure. Instead, she scrutinized Xiao Ran with a frown, her tone full of doubt.
Xiao Ran patted his chest. "Absolutely."
Bargyll gave Xiao Ran a look, snorted, and turned to leave. "I hope you keep your word."
"Wait." Xiao Ran grabbed Bargyll as she was about to leave, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "Before I come out of the Captain's Room, don't let those people board the ship. Trust me!"
Bargyll immediately turned her head, her sharp gaze shooting into Xiao Ran's eyes. "What do you know?"
"Trust me for now. I'll explain later." Xiao Ran leaned back slightly, though he was still almost face-to-face with Bargyll. Seeing the thick suspicion and vigilance in her eyes, he added, "You want Kira to continue piloting the Strike Gundam, or for me to take Kira's place. I agree with both. And Kira won't leave the ship, because Miriallia and Tolle have decided to stay aboard too. Kira will definitely stay as well."
"Whether you believe me or not, Kira and I are more trustworthy than those people we've never met, aren't we? You have to stop them from boarding. I'll give you the explanation you want afterward. Please."
Before you continue