Chapter 11: The end of the beginning
It was captivating, Tabane concluded.
Truly it was.
Looking at the image of the F91 Gundam that Tobia had given to her, she would rather not interfere in the current proceedings of the world. Not when she had a clear understanding of what the future may play out. She was observing the growth of an anomaly in her plan.
Because simply from what she knew, Tobia Arno simply did not exist in any shape or form in this world. Even more so when said person possessed a completely unknown IS to her despite her being their original designer.
A pure white set of armor that fully encapsulated its wearer with some blue, red, and gold accents the body. It was sleek and compact bearing a very practical design that maximized its maneuverability and speed.
A beautiful and perfected work of craftsmanship.
The machine was nothing like she had seen before. Based on the file that he gave, machines such as the F91 were called mobile suits, what she was seeing in front of her was a true instrument designed for war. The output and strength shown were many times larger than that of an IS core, yet many functions that an IS possesses were founded lacking in a mobile suit.
More than that, what she was interested in were the abilities Tobia had withheld from her. She knew that he was hiding something simply with a throughout observe of the F91. A few places that showed missing information indicated there were components that should have been there.
Which country made them?
Why had it not been introduced for mass-production yet?
What other secrets was he hiding?
Hmm. Rather than hiding, it would be more appropriate to say withholding. After a few exchanges and questioning of his background, she had had the gist of it. Was it a sign from him to tell her that if she wants to know, then she must trade something in return? Or was it because they were too dangerous to be known for the time being? Either way, he had caught her attention.
An unrivaled strength in combat.
Extremely maneuverable and impressive speed.
That was all she could figure out from the data and video given, and those were enough to give her a run for her money. She would like to rebuild this work of art and improve it even further due to her competitive nature as she prided herself as the world's genius. But with the missing links about the Operating System and reactor, it may cause her sometimes to do. She could not just use her existing IS O.S and core to jam in it, for it would not be compatible and result in a faulty product.
In the end, she couldn't figure any of it out.
Letting out an exasperated sigh, she bit down onto her fingernail. Speculations and hypotheses forming, even crazy notions such as he came from a different world flew into her head.
Wait...
It was a possibility.
Think!
His non-existent biography.
His sudden appearance in the academy.
Fallen from the sky, was it? Yes, she had found out what happened the night that Tobia came into this world.
Why did Chifuyu hide it from her?
Not even mentioning the unknown material of the armor. Luna Titanium alloy with Ceramic-composite.
And the significant difference in design philosophy could only stem from a different history unknown to her.
Wasn't it all too much for a coincidence? It's like she had walked right into a science-fiction story.
No good, her curiosity was dying for more information.
Tabane immediately cast everything aside, only focusing on re-watching the record of their interaction in fascinating.
The stature of Tobia's aura, the sharpness of his tone, and the level of maturity he displayed were not something a person his age should have. But that doesn't concern her much, for what had he been withholding was her main point of attention and pondered as she kept on watching.
"If it's true... then isn't it even more fascinating?" She made a huge grin, her body overbearing an extreme sensation that even herself couldn't describe.
Although she wouldn't pry it directly, couldn't she just witness it for herself by putting the boy through some unforeseen circumstance? The upcoming event that she had planned could be exactly what she needed after all, what he would have to deal with would be an entertaining spectacle to see.
*Beep*Beep* the sound of a call rang over as a pop-up appeared on Tabane's screen.
She leaned over to see who was contacting her and much to her surprise and delight, the person who called was the one that she was currently having the most headache of.
"It's me. I need your help."
The pride of House Alcott was currently resting upon Cecilia's shoulders and sadly, she had been deemed to have sullied its name.
When her family died in a train accident, she was thrown head-first into a squabble over her family's fortune, since there were many who wished to take it from her.
To avoid ceding her family fortune, she took up an offer from the English government to receive their backing and transferred to the IS Academy.
However, during her time in the academy, an incident had sparked up with Cecilia challenging Tobia and Ichika to a fight. When Cecilia lost to Tobia, being the representative cadet of Austria (though still debatable on the Austrian media), and Ichika, the first official male IS pilot, had left a bad mark on the media for England. This resulted in a huge disagreement between the Alcott Family and the government, causing Cecilia's position as the head to be shaken.
It didn't matter how hard she had to done to keep the position of the family head, with only 1 single mistake, many others would immediately jump in to snatch it.
Soon, her name may be replaced by another member of the branch family and that was not something she and her mother wished to see. Her mother had dedicated her whole life to building up the family and had wanted to give it all to Cecilia, but with her sudden death, a solid testimony could be given so Cecilia could not rightfully receive the whole fortune.
Right now, Tobia was on his way to make a visit to a meeting between Alcott's family and the English government to discuss the future head. With the accompany of Tabane Shinonono. Cecilia of course did not know about this as he had kept it a secret from her. Even her family did not tell her anything regarding the meeting since her position was being in question.
Tobia, using his Crossbone Gundam, could easily get to England in a matter of two hours. About Tabane, however, he didn't know how could she got there at the same time as him, but she being the genius who designed the IS must have had her own method.
"Ya, Tobia-kyun, I didn't know you would invite me out to a date like this. You're so bold, hehe."
"Cut it out. We are here for business, stop joking around."
"Buuu, you should feel honored to be accompanied by a beauty such as me, you know?"
The head maid of house Alcott was waiting for us at the main entrance. She was a middle-aged and frail-looking woman. She dressed in typical maid fashion but without an apron and a ruffled headpiece, together with her older age denoted her status as the head maid.
"Greetings miss Shinonono, and this must be the supposed Austrian representative candidate?" She was quick to judge. You could see it from the ridicule in her eyes when she looked at Tobia.
Tabane, despite being a carefree person, was not impressed. "You best hold your opinion about him until after you've assessed him. It's not wise to look down on the person who defeated your current head, don't you think." Spoke Tabane. Even though she said it with a smile, the cold and monotone that she delivered was enough to send a chill down the woman.
"I-I apologize. I'll keep your advice in mind." The intimidated head maid spoke stiffly. "I'll guide you both into the building. Please follow me." She had no real rebuttal as she was probably afraid of Tabane's status and position. After all, she was someone with the most influent in the IS world. One word from Tabane and who knows what would happen to her.
Tobia nodded and soon followed suit with Tabane happily trailing behind. "So, so, don't you think I'm awesome?" she playfully whispered into Tobia's ear, much to his discomfort. Though, he must admit, having Tabane's voice was the only reason he could join today's meeting, so he had to bear with it.
"Yeah, yeah, you're awesome."
The clacking of his shoes and Tabane heels over a red carpet on a smoothened floor was the only noise that echoed within the long hallway that they were walking through within the building. Large windows lined both sides of the halls and allowed iridescent beams of sunlight to guide the way forward. There were many lavish decorations and luxuries which Tobia imagined would perfectly fit the image of the most influential house of the country.
They soon reached the end of the long hallway and the maids who stood waiting pushed the doors open, leading into the room reserved for many government officials and other members of the Alcott.
All eyes within the room turned to them in an instant, but the majority were regarding Tobia with a layer of scrutiny and a thinly veiled of uneasiness. The prospect or the man who had defeated England's top representative candidate and had received both the backings of Tabane and Chifuyu put everyone's preconceptions of him at many different levels.
The gazes of the Alcott family lingered on his form, shifting up and down before many inwardly scoffed and plastered friendly greetings towards Tabane, disregarding him. However, the tension continued to rise within the room which was already divided into four groups. One group for each participating heir and their supporters.
Under the scrutiny of the family members, Tobia moved to an empty seat prepared for the meeting. He sat on the chair and crossed his legs in front of him with his hands placing on the long white table. Tabane then quickly took another one beside him.
"Miss Tabane Shinonono and Mister Tobia Arno are now present," the speaker in the room appeared nervous, beads of sweat forming over her brow while looking between her and Tabane. "Let us begin the day meeting regarding the reconsideration of the position of the current family head."
The speaker adjusted her laced dress before moving towards the center of the room where a small table was set without any objects on top.
"As decided by the member of the Alcott family, we will discuss the legitimacy of lady Alcott's position and to decide whether or not a new head will be chosen."
As the speaker finished the introduction, everyone in the room remained silent. They all waited for others to start first, no one actually dared to begin with the presence of Tabane in the meeting. Should it had been a normal meeting, they would all be yelling at each other by now. But since Tabane was the anomaly at the meeting, no one knew what to do with her.
Why was she here of all places? What was her purpose? And why was the representative candidate of Austria here? They questioned. Speculations began forming inside their heads, many guessed that Cecilia had received the backing of both of the people in question, and that was something they feared the most.
To receive the backing of Tabane Shinonono was the highest honor and most solid foundation one could receive. That was why when Tabane stood out and vouched for Tobia, none dared to push for his background any further. Even the Austrian and German governments had to agree to acknowledge him, partially for the Austrian to legitimately said that they had a functional 3rd generation unit in service to save face.
"Greetings, professor Shinonono, I wonder which reason has brought you here?" A daring man from the branch family asked first. He sheepishly tugged his fingers together, trying to appear as much polite as possible, scaring of offending Tabane. "And this young gentleman here too." he turned to Tobia, but only for a second.
"That's right. For professor Shinonono to be here, it must be an important matter. Not some minor issue regarding the personal family dispute, right?" Another woman soon joined in with the agreement of others as well. They all seemed to be afraid of Tabane's influence changing the balance.
"Oh, but that's precisely why I'm here though. Tobia-kyun here have asked me to help out on his lovely friend, Cecilia-chan, after all."
And there it went, Tabane just had to review that information for everyone.
Cecilia's relatives nervously stared at him as Tabane continued to make that innocent smile of her, not caring that she had just thrown everyone's attention onto him. He was only supposed to be an observer and only answer the questions regarding the duel in the academy. But now, it turned out he was a person who could easily ask Tabane for a favor.
Skeptics. All of them.
His expression shifted into a stern glare. So be it. If she wanted to pull him into this, then he would play her game.
"Yes, that's true. Today, I'm here as the representative of Cecilia Alcott. I'll also resolve the misunderstanding of our duel in the IS Academy."
When they heard it, the faces of the members of the branch family turned pale. It was over for them.
This wasn't a competition any longer. If Tabane's support was true, then there was no doubt or opinion against Cecilia anymore.
Her relatives nervously stared at Tabane just nodded at what Tobia said, they all adopted an air of anxiety. She was acting differently from how she normally acted. In response to how her relatives scorned her, she'd generally lashed out with an overwhelming presence. However, there was no power or authority in her current disposition. Nothing at all.
However, the government officials seemed to have a different opinion.
"We get that professor Tabane will support lady Alcott. However, the fact of the matter is, what she had done has stepped over the boundary. And we don't think that your backing words are enough to-"
"As I said, I'm here to resolve the misunderstanding," Tobia interjected. "Both me and student Orimura agreed to the duel as a form of a training exercise. We didn't have any bearing against her. As such, the reasoning against her proposing the duel is invalid."
"But..."
"Lady Alcott did not agree with the unfair result. Student Orimura was still a novice at that point, while she was a representative candidate, her questioning his ability is completely rational. If I was her, I would do the same."
"Isn't there evidence of her speaking rudely and pointing animosity towards both of you? For a family head, such behavior is unacceptable."
These types of people, who only sought for the position of the head of the Alcott family would turn over to any slightest chance they could find to take Tabane down. It was of no wonder that she was so paranoid about men that much. Though her action was still unacceptable and now was the time that she faced the consequences.
Anyway, since Tobia had made the deal to help her out of this, he would still have to deal with this in some way or another.
*SIGH* On the side, as everyone was in a heated debate, Tabane left out a long and exasperated sigh. She was the type of person who never liked to be in these types of political talk. They always showed the worst of men.
She just wanted to end it quickly and get back to her research.
"I see that everyone here doesn't want to lose their piece of the pie. But too bad, I have no time for this useless squabble, so I will go straight to the point."
Under the attention of all, Tabane decided to suddenly drop the bomb, its weight and properties blinding all.
"I will offer you a new core in return for the support of Cecilia Alcott."
Even Tobia was also shocked by her, he had never thought about asking her directly to have a sample of the core since he had nothing in equivalent to exchange for it yet. For her to give up one away out of nowhere like this was... unimaginable.
And with that, the people presented in the room who had once shown scrutiny and reluctance towards Tobia were no more.
It was the deciding factor.
One would be crazy to go against it.
With this, the benefit that the government would earn clearly outweighed the petty infighting of the Alcott family. It was clear which side they would take.
"Are we done?" Tabane asked flatly.
No one answered.
It turned out exactly as Tobia had expected. With Tabane's offer, no further support was needed his help in order to secure Cecilia's position. As it would turn out, the impact of receiving a new core had been far more than enough to elevate Cecilia's odds of zero, to guaranteed.
No, it was to never be questioned again.
Regardless of what arguments, preparation, or support from other families that Cecilia's rivals came up with, ties with Tabane Shinonono held far more relevance to the English government and the Alcott family. This went to show just how pivotal the notion of an IS core could play in the politics of this world.
By this time, it was noon.
Both Tabane and Tobia were sitting in a prepared guest room and being served by the maids.
"To think that you would offer them a core. I didn't even expect that."
"Hehe, I just wanted to end it quickly. And also, that core doesn't have much value for me anymore compared to what you'll give me in return."
True. What Tobia had promised to give her in return for her support of Cecilia was the missing pieces of the F91 Gundam. Something that she was really desperate to find out to satisfy her curiosity and interest. But that was all in the deal, so now, he couldn't easily ask for a core anymore.
In the end, everything had a price.
Another point to be noted was that the content of today's meeting was to be kept confidential. Any information regarding Tobia and Tabane being here, and the trading of the core was simply did not exist. Should they be revealed, the deal would be over.
They, of course, would not wish to get on a bad side with Tabane and risk losing their greatest assets, so there was no objection made.
As both of them were still talking, a young maid walked in with drinks to serve them. She was a young and slender-looking girl who appeared to be only a couple of years older than Tobia right now. Her beautiful red auburn-color hair and golden-brown eyes resembled a forest in the Autumn. She also dressed in typical maid clothing, but this time, with an accompanying white apron and headdress.
"Here's your coffee that you have asked for Tobia-sama. And this is the prepared tea for Tabane-sama." she said while placing down the drinks on the table.
Tobia nodded and took his cup. Once he had taken a gulp, his eyes opened in surprise. The flavor was superb and the aroma was very pleasing; with some sugar and milk, it would no doubt be lovely.
"Wow, who made this? Could you please send me a thanking word? If could, I would like to learn one or two from the person too."
When the girl heard what he said, she was a tad taken aback, but then followed up with a warm smile towards Tobia, who seemed to notice her sudden action.
"Sorry, did I say something wrong?" asked Tobia.
"Ah, no. There's nothing wrong, Tobia-sama. It's just that, it's the first time someone tells me they enjoy my drink." she shyly answered.
Oh, she was the one who made the coffee. It was quite a surprise for him, not expecting such a young-looking girl to be able to make it. To be honest, he was even envious of her skill.
"May I have the courtesy to learn your name?"
"Yes, of course. My name is Chelsea Blankett, it's an honor to know you."
"Thank you, miss Blankett. If possible, may I learn how you are able to make such a wonderful coffee?"
"You flatter me, Tobia-sama. But if you don't mind, then this humble maid can show you."
"Oh, please show me."
Having watched their interaction until now, Tabane had remained quiet, however, a smile was creeping onto her face as she seemed to have notice something about the new maid. Though, she did not say anything and only enjoyed her tea from the side.
Slowly, the maid moved closer to Tobia's seat and tugged her hands around the silver tray.
Once both of them were in close proximity, Tobia perked his head up in anticipation and right then, a knife came aiming for him.
*Clank* the sharp noise of metal beating against each other echoed around the room. When we look at it, Tobia had caught the knife in his left palm by using the partial deployment of the Crossbones Gundam's arm while still holding the cup of coffee in his right hand.
"Oh, I don't know that making good coffee involves the usage of such a fine army knife," spoke Tobia, his neutral face and monotone showed that he was not amused with the current situation.
Contradict to the image of a shy maiden she had a minute ago, the Chelsea he was seeing now had a cold and sharp eye. The golden-brown color eyes she had that once resembled the Maple leaves in Fall, now appeared like hardened bronze, uncaring, and unbending.
"Well, it's my special kitchen set that makes the difference after all."
"Then may I ask, what's the purpose for its usage?" he asked sarcastically.
"Oh, I just want to know the man who had defeated my mistress and the true character of him. Nothing much, Tobia-sama."
"I see. So, is the test enough to speak for myself?" he surmised, brows furrowing together.
"Well, I suppose. I now see why you're capable of defeating lady Alcott. You never lower your guard and that poker face of yours is impossible to read. Had it been the lady, she would be knocked out by now."
"Heh, you sound quite certain in your judgment."
"Being the sparring partner with the mistress from a young age, I of course understand her usual habit."
He smug a bit at her answer but soon changed back to his indifferent face once he saw the time on the hanging clock.
"I see. Well, anyway, I have to go now, it was nice speaking with you."
Standing up from the chair, he finished his cup and put on the jacket.
Tabane happily followed him and gave the maid a goodbye as nothing had happened. Well to her, it only made her wonder more and more about him. What had he gone through and what were these mobile suits? She had begun to have some gist of it.
"Have a nice trip, Tobia-sama. I'll look forward to our next meeting."
"Oh, trust me. It gonna be a long time until that," he said, before walking out of the room.
And the door was closed shut.
'I hope we will meet again.'
The whisper sounded.
'Maybe you could be the one to help me and the mistress.'
To say that the situation was awkward would be a huge understatement.
After he had got out of the guest room where Chelsea was, it had left him to ponder for his heart on what he had done wrong. Truth be told, when the knife came aiming for his throat, he was almost scared shitless, but his façade held strong. He held up his poker face and tried to act intimidating on the outside while his inside was all white.
Good thing that Haro noticed the hidden weapon and was quick to tell him using the optic camouflage.
'Does she hate me because of the fight with Cecilia?' he pondered to himself.
'Silence is golden', and that's what he chose to do until he got out of the Alcott mansion. He had learned his lesson already about trying to intervene in other people's problems. It wouldn't be good for his physical and mental health if a thing like that happens constantly.
First, it was crazy Tabane and now a killer maid. Was it about the maid that he had troubled with since both of them wore a similar outfit?
Well, since one matter had been dealt with, he had another important thing to do. And that was going to take place at his next destination.
The Austrian Embassy.
The taxi had just arrived on time and he quickly moved out to get on the vehicle. Their next scheduled meeting was to meet with Chifuyu's acquaintance, who had helped to create his fake identity. He needed to start making out some explanation and excuse.
"Are you worrying?"
"Hmm?"
Tabane's question, it was out of a sudden for him. He turned to her and saw that she was staring into his eyes. Her ruby orbs seemed to look right through him in that instant, though, he had already familiarized himself with her way of acting.
"What?"
"Hey, Tobia-kyun... You're not from this world, aren't you?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"Eh? So? You just admit them like that huh? Buuu, boring, I thought you would fight back or something."
What else was she expecting him to do? The reason he gave the data of the F91 to her was so that she could figure it out without him going through the pain of explaining. There was no point for him to deny it any further.
The day that he decided to take that gamble, he had resolved himself. It was not that he had trusted her, but she was the only choice for him that would guarantee the highest chance to go back. Yes, it was only a trade.
"Isn't that what you wanted to know? You have figured out my origin and will soon receive the other data of the F91. That's our deal."
"Yes, but it would be more interesting if you struggle some more to entertain me you know."
"What an insane way of thinking you have."
"Well, nevermind, you would soon be anyway."
"Hmm? What do y-"
*Knock*Knock* the sound of tapping glass came from the driver's cabin.
"Sorry to interrupt, but we're at your place." said the taxi driver, when Tobia looked to the side, he realized that they had arrived at the front gate of the embassy.
He nodded to the driver and got out, but before they went into the building, Tobia remembered to give some "extra" tip to the man.
"Our talk in the car is not to be spoken about."
The man accepted it without saying any word, driving away as nothing had happened. Just like what our pilot wanted to.
"Good afternoon, mister Tobia Arno," A voice called out to him from behind and was spoken in German. It belonged to a woman who appeared to be in her 20s and dressed in a formal suit. Her hair had a distinct dark blue color just like Tobia but cut into an angled bob, she also had a pair of peeled blue eyes, befitting a person of high status such as herself. "Or should I say, our representative candidate? Welcome to the embassy." she continued, but clearly only emphasizing the "representative candidate" part.
Great, another woman to be worried about. What was with him running into these people? He grunted to himself, though humble enough to not express it on his face.
"My name is Maria Harfouch, head of the German-Austria IS corporate Alliance, you can call us GAIA. It's a pleasure to meet you." she introduced; her right hand extended out for a handshake.
Tobia kindly returned the gesture. "Likewise, it's a pleasure to meet you too."
"Oh, so you can speak German too?"
"Well yes, but only a little. So, it would be great if we can speak in English."
"Then I won't waste any more of your time. Please head inside, I'm sure we will have many topics to speak about."
He nodded. His feet brought him confidently forward.
This was his choice; it was his plan.
Laying down a solid foundation in this world was important for him to exist in this world.
Without the power to stand on his own two legs, he would forever be relying on Chifuyu and Tabane. Being passive and reactive only in the world of politics would mean easy prey, even a child knew that.
I was invited to come in to have lunch and waited a few minutes outside of the main hall.
They seemed to have prepared for today's meeting a lot more serious in consideration of Tobia than the one in Alcott house, where Tabane was the main attraction.
Just like Tabane, this time, he also received many peculiar looks from the people inside the building. They were all serious and on edge, though a few did have some hint of respect.
A man came to him and invited both of them into the dining hall when the preparation was done.
Inside the dining room, it was decorated lavishly in the style of 19th-century architecture.
Tobia and Tabane were eating lunch with other three people around a large table. They were Maria Harfouch; Albert Gratz, foreign minister of Austria, and Wernher Braun, the current head of the Germany IS development team.
It was a really strange experience to eat like this for our pilot with how tense and ambiguous the atmosphere was. No one was talking and they were all fixated on him. Tabane being herself, just enjoyed her meal like a child but did manage her mannerism of an adult.
"Woah, wine! Hey, could I ask for more?"
Well, mostly.
The dishes were still steaming hot and delicious, he liked it. It had been quite a long time since he got to eat delicious food made by a professional chef.
"Do the dishes suit your taste?" Sitting in the middle, Albert asked Tobia. And without any flattery, he spoke his impression.
"The Schnitzel is indeed delicious. Especially this sauce, it adds to the meat a very rich flavor."
"That's great to hear, I believe the chef would be glad to hear." he kindly replied. "Then, I believe we can get into the main topic of today, right?"
Straight to the point? He could do that. Tobia perked up and used the handkerchief to clean himself.
"Yes."
"Ah, good. I would prefer that over a long chit-chat. Then let us ask, who are you, Tobia Arno?"
Déjà vu, that was what Tobia saw from the man's question. For half of the day, he had been constantly reminded of his first encounter with Tabane, and the said person was even sitting right next to him. He may get PTSD out of this.
"I understand why you want to know it, but I think you're asking the wrong question."
"And why?"
"With all due respect mister Gratz, I'm here to offer you a deal, not to be interrogated. It would be great if you understand that difference."
"..." Albert eyed him with a careful approach, remaining vigilant like a gentleman. He tugged his hands under his chin and glanced to Maria; without any words, she nodded to him.
"We understand your point. However, if we don't even know who you're or what your purpose is, then on what basics can we use to trust you on the deal?"
Fair point, no one wanted to risk investing in an unknown cause, with a person without any background like him, only people like Tabane and Chifuyu would trust his words. And that was precisely all that he needed.
"If I remember correctly, both professor Shinonono and instructor Ormiura have vouched for me. I think there's no need for you to dig any further information about me unless you are doubting their words." Tobia pointed out, explicitly emphasizing the role of Tabane and Chifuyu. The name of those two is undoubtedly one of the most powerful allies to have on the discussion table. Not even mentioning, one of them is even sitting in front of them in the flesh.
"N-no, we didn't have that point. If the professor has vouched for you, then we won't go push you," said Maria as she smiled wryly.
Good, they had begun to break their defense. Tobia hid his grin under a false gentle smile.
Tabane, the person mentioned, only focused on her foods and gave some laughs in return. She believed it was not her problem, to begin with, so she did not pay it any mind.
"Thank you, then I won't beat around the bushes anymore. Allow me to say, I want the alliance to back me up."
"Ok. You said this is a trade deal, then what will we get in return?"
"You will have my name."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Simple. If you have my name, then on official paper, it will be seen as the Alliance has already possessed a 3rd gen IS in service with tested combat capability. Couple with the fact that I have defeated England's newest 3rd gen," he explained calmly. "You don't need me to spell out the rest, right?"
Jack point. He had scored the mark for the people from the Alliance.
To understand this, it essentially meant that the Alliance was now officially capable of producing the world's first tested and combat-proven 3rd gen IS. While other countries' 3rd gen was still in testing and plagued with shortcomings, they had already taken a step ahead of the game. Companies that saw this turn of an event would immediately jump in for investment to get a share, thus would bring in an influx of money for them.
It was not mentioned yet, but Haro had discovered that the Alliance's funding for their IS development project was beginning to run out. With limited resources and no satisfactory researching results in the near future, sooner or later, they would have to put a halt to their project. But if more funding would come in, it would be a different story.
"That does sound tempting, mister Tobia Arno," the foreign minister spoke while lighting up a cigarette. "But if other countries find out the truth or you betray us, then the consequences would be impossible for us to bear you know?"
What he said was correct. Should the fact that their certified 3rd gen was a lie be discovered, it would basically mean that the Alliance commits a fraught. Funding companies would immediately retrieve their stakes and the international community would catch them red-handed, causing a huge scandal, and everyone in this would be arrested. No way would that man want to risk losing his job and going to jail was what Tobia could interpret from him.
"You do understand, don't you? That's why we want to know who you're. This is too big of a gamble for us to make."
"Yes, if." Tobia shrugged, a gleam in his eyes.
That's right, "if". But how conveniently, he had just eliminated that probability.
"?"
"You don't have to worry about other countries. The most likely one, England, had been dealt with so they won't investigate anymore."
This statement alone caused them to pause. He just said it with such a lax expression. Where did he get that confidence from?
"May I ask how did you do that? And ho-"
Tobia hummed whether, in wryness or annoyance, they didn't dare to push further.
"Sorry, that's not something I can tell. But like you, I have also offered them a deal. So, unless you join me on this deal, then sadly, I can't speak any further."
Silence permeated the room as they contemplated what to decide.
They asked Tobia to wait for a while before asking him for a few minutes of consideration.
Tabane being Tabane just asked for more wine.
They looked back at him and frowned. Despite the indifference, Tobia was giving off, they couldn't help but notice the assertion in the boy's gaze that he had had them.
Did he come into this building knowing from the start that they couldn't refuse?
If what he told was true, then they wouldn't have much to worry about other than whether their side could keep the secret or not, not the boy.
With Tabane sitting on his side and hadn't given any objection until now, it could say it was a safe bet that the boy had told them the truth. Knowing what was at stake and what could be gain, however, it wasn't as if they could refuse.
"Fine," Albert conceded. "We will take on this deal."
For the next month and a half, Tobia and Ichika had assimilated themselves well to the Academy filled with women. They had found a perfect balance between studying and practicing IS combat.
In that whole time, Tobia had spent most of his time drilling lessons and combat training into Ichika's thick skull. Not only that, he had to attend many meetings with Maria as the represented pilot of an experimental 3rd gen IS from GAIA. With two heavy tasks weighing down on his shoulder, our pilot was almost drained and did not even have any free time to spare.
Nonetheless, what happened had happened. He could only move forward from now on as many problems that had bugged him for the time past had been mostly dealt with. And also, with the groundwork set, he could now focus on finding out the cause of him being transported into this world. Sooner or later, he would be able to return to his family, he was sure of it.
And at long last, the day of the official interclass tournament where the Class-representatives would compete against each other had finally come. As this was an official event, many preparations had been made to welcome the VIP guests who were mostly officials or CEOs of IS corporations from many different countries. All of the spectator seats were filled with the female students who were waiting eagerly for the tournament, especially the girls of Class 1-1 who were rooting for their class representative, Ichika Orimura. Some of them had even made a banner with his name written on it.
Among the VIP spectators were the members of GAIA, Maria included. They had come here to take a closer observation of the 2nd male pilot. Their real pilot or not, it was still officially on the paper, and they would not waste any chance of studying more about this new unknown IS.
Standing in the middle of the arena was Lingyin in her personal IS: The Shenlong.
Shenlong was China's newest 3rd generation experimental unit. It had distinct colors of dark pink and black, probably personalized after its pilot. It was designed specifically for close-quarters combat, similar to Byakushiki. However, unlike Ichika's IS which had no ranged weapons, Shenlong was armed with two cannons, one on each shoulder binder. Its main weapon was also not a sword, but instead a giant pair of scimitars in each hand.
Hovering in the air, the twin-tailed girl patiently waited for her opponent who had yet to come out of the hangar.
Meanwhile, inside the hangar, Ichika was armed up in his Byakushiki. He closed his eyes and took a long breath.
He could feel the adrenaline rushing in his veins.
Ease. Ease. He repeated to himself. 'You have trained a whole month for this, Ichika. You can do this.'
With every breath he took, he was reminded of all the lessons that Tobia and Houki had drilled into him. He even received some teaching from Cecilia, who taught him what a range-weapon user would do. They all had given him valuable experience, he couldn't just let them down now, could he?
"You're ready, Ichika?" He turned towards the other occupant in the room. Tobia was standing behind him
The fights would be starting in ten minutes, and he was just going through what he wanted Tabane to do. In five minutes, he'd go down the range and meet up with Rin.
"Yeah," He replied, seeing behind Tobia was his sister, Maya-sensei, Houki, and even Cecilia in the observing room.
"Idiot Ichika! Don't you dare lose!"
"Ichika-san, you can do it!"
"Orimura-kun, please do your best!"
"..."
Ah yes, they were all rooting for him, trusting him, and proud of him. His sister may have not said anything, but he could see that she cares for him too. He smiled, his hands clench into fists, and then relaxed.
'Sorry Rin, but I couldn't lose this.' He made up his mind.
He would make up for her after this, but at first and for most, he must win.
"I'm going to show you how much I have improved."
Tobia's eyes broaden, his face brightened up, and appeared under it was the signature grin that he would only make when he trusted in something. He had been with him for more than a month, by this time, he could read Tobia's expression clearer.
"Heh, I'm looking forward to that," Tobia replied. Putting his middle and index fingers together, Tobia raised them above his temple and pushed them forward, it was a sign of a salute.
Ichika nodded to the crew and turned back to look at the launching pad. His foots planted firmly onto the catapult and his sight straight.
He could hear the cheering sound of the crowd; he could feel the anxious feeling of Rin waiting for him.
The HUD began its count down.
5...4...3...2...1
"Ichika Orimura, Byakushiki! Lauching off!"
A/N: It appears to be that the page is currently having some bug so the uploaded chapters didn't show up. I have deleted and tried to re-upload chapter 10 but it still won't appear on the web, but it works fine on the phone. So until the page is fixed, I think it's best for you to use the app version.
Comment replies:
R reyes: That's indeed an interesting suggestion. However, if I begin writing a new story, then I won't have time for this one and thus, a slower update. I do have other X-over in mind though, for example, Fate/stay night x Owari no Seraph; Gundam 08th MS team x Gate: Jietai; or just some crackfic of the Crossbone Gundam/ Ghost Gundam hunting down and slaughtering ghost and demon in horror movies. If any of that interests you guys, please let me know. But in the end, I don't think I will have time to write 2 at once in a month. Well, I could try I guess, though not guaranteed.
ericsofly: Thank you.
Dragon Lord Syed 101: Yeah, this is only the beginning for him.
Ok, thanks. See ya all in the next chapters again.