Transfer to Garrison Force

Satisfied, Revil quickly and enthusiastically led Xu De into his officer's office.

Facing the bright light, Xu De's gaze swept rapidly around the room.

The room was kept in meticulous order, with merchandise from an Atlantic baseball team, as well as various trophies and certificates, displayed on the desk.

In short, it looked every bit the style of an Atlantic officer.

For Xu De, who was currently only a corporal, the rank of Lieutenant Colonel held by the man before him was something he could not hope to reach.

"Sit."

"No need to be nervous."

Although he said that, Revil himself couldn't actually see any sign of nervousness in the other man.

Deep down, his feelings toward Xu De were not just satisfied, but also grew a bit complex.

"Thank you."

Xu De nodded and sat down.

He understood Revil's intentions, and he honestly said thank you.

But more importantly, he maintained a composed demeanor; Revil seemed like a man of few words, and such people preferred those who spoke less and did more.

In other words, a pragmatist; such a superior was far better than the flashy, useless idiots outside.

This was a good thing for Xu De, as he truly couldn't bring himself to fawn or flatter anyone.

Under the other man's scrutiny, Xu De looked back at his superior's superior across the massive desk, his face remaining deathly calm.

On the other side, after finishing his assessment of Xu De, Revil suppressed his satisfaction, placed his hands on the desk, and tapped the thick, round wooden surface with interest.

"That tactic, did you come up with it yourself?"

"How did you think of it?"

As he spoke, the smile on his face gradually faded, turning serious.

Before Xu De, this Lieutenant Colonel could make one feel his authority with just a single change in posture.

It was like an interrogation.

What Revil was asking about, naturally, was the maneuver Xu De had just used to shield himself with debris.

That move had been executed with great agility.

It was the kind of thing that required a thorough understanding of the enemy's movement patterns.

"It was a tactical maneuver I derived based on previous observations of enemy flight patterns and radar range, combined with the specific characteristics and performance of the Moebius."

Unmoved by the other man's posture, Xu De spoke calmly, though the slight upturn of his lips revealed a touch of confidence.

Just as he had thought before, he had transmigrated, and it seemed the intelligence and mental power of the original owner and himself had simply and crudely merged into a 1+1.

Even if it was just 1+1, the effect was still incredibly powerful.

Many calculations were far faster than in his previous life.

"Is that so?"

Hearing this, Revil didn't show it on his face, but he felt a bit more satisfied inside.

Coming up with it himself proved he had a good head on his shoulders and could adapt to changing circumstances on the battlefield.

Xu De had high potential; it would be best to cultivate him deeply.

Especially given their current lack of elite space combat personnel.

Even he had only fought in space a few times during simulation battles and anti-insurgency operations.

Although the environment for using this tactic was limited, it was still highly creative.

This kind of innovative, technical space combat talent was exactly what they were urgently in need of right now.

"This tactic has a lot of promise, though it is quite selective about the environment."

While thinking, Revil said solemnly.

"Yes."

Xu De did not mention that he had chosen the battlefield based on the collapse of the World Tree.

When the World Tree collapsed, the entire low-earth orbit would certainly be littered with debris.

Under the influence of Earth's gravity, it would form a situation similar to the one in the simulation battle.

If he said that, he might end up being sent off to be dissected.

"Since you have passed the assessment under my command, you are now my subordinate."

"Regarding that, I wonder if the Commander could allow me to start by familiarizing myself with the World Tree Garrison Force."

Hearing Revil say this, Xu De spoke quickly.

He was afraid that if he spoke a second too late, he would be muddled into joining Revil's unit.

This was not his goal.

"Why?"

Revil asked solemnly.

Indeed, according to the typical Western mindset, joining a flight squadron, becoming a second lieutenant, and following the main force as an elite officer to enjoy the adoration of the masses and hero-like treatment was the dream.

This was something many of them would die for without regret.

To say nothing of the distant future, just look at the ninety-nine recruits besides Xu De who had just been fighting tooth and nail for those spots.

As for the Garrison Force, that was the rear echelon, usually reserved for the children of high-ranking officials looking to pad their service records or those with connections.

It was safe, certainly, but it served no real purpose.

Those with connections only wanted the title of having participated in the war so they could be promoted later.

No one would actually care about their combat performance.

But Xu De had no connections; going there would be completely useless for him.

Could it be that he is trying to avoid the war?

Muttering to himself, Revil's posture became a bit more aggressive.

The implication in his tone seemed to be that if Xu De's explanation did not satisfy him, he would cut him down.

Yet Xu De, seemingly unaware, just continued.

"According to the President's countdown, there are at most seven days left before ZAFT weighs anchor."

"I am afraid that I won't be able to complete the necessary integration with your subordinates in that time."

After all, this was a major war, and one where ZAFT was committing its entire national strength.

Although they felt they had a high chance of victory, in such a massive conflict, poor coordination could easily make one a liability.

Moreover, his potential was immense; if he were to die because of poor coordination, it would be an absolute loss.

Furthermore, the most important thing was that he needed a relatively free position to ensure his own survival.

If he were to be integrated into their squad now, he would have to listen to the squad leader.

Even moving freely could be considered a violation of military discipline.

He had absolutely no desire to be commanded by someone who did not understand what would happen on the battlefield next.

Rather than that, it was better to go to the relatively freer Garrison Force.

He would be half a free agent, and it was closer to the World Tree.

When things eventually collapsed, he would have an excuse to go elsewhere.

"Hmm..."

Listening to Xu De's stated reasons, Revil pondered for a moment before waving his hand.

"Very well, you can integrate later."

Revil had effectively agreed to Xu De's request.

"Thank you, sir."

Xu De, very tactfully, stood up and gave Revil a military salute.

His crisp and clean movements made people feel a sense of goodwill toward him out of nowhere.

After all, the standard of Xu De's salute was even more professional than that of their own honor guard.

That dashing appearance made one's mood improve by quite a bit.