Why would I join the army if I can’t drive a Gundam!

Chapter 169 So, what is the price?

Although Shiro Amada was badly beaten, not a single one of his allies came forward to help him; in fact, many of them were clapping and cheering.

At first, everyone admired the other side's feat of intercepting the enemy single-handedly. Little did they know that the pilots of the two machines already knew each other and jumped down to hug and embrace each other, disregarding their brothers' worries.

Nagase Hotaru even pulled out a bag of sunflower seeds and snacks and started munching on them with relish, and even asked the female members of Amada Shirou's squad if they wanted some.

The latter, however, remained completely bewildered, utterly clueless about what was going on with the captain.

"That's simple, it's a love triangle! He loves her, she loves her, but he loves him!"

"Nagase Hotaru said with great certainty."

As a result, the way everyone around looked at Shirou Amada changed.

Although he was beaten, Shirou Amada did not retaliate. During his conversation with Aina, he learned that the sturdy man in front of him was Aina's adoptive father, so he was very obedient at this moment.

After teaching Shiro Amada a lesson, Norris saw Macarius's G3 Gundam slowly stop in front of Apsaras. Then, he saw a Federation officer, even younger than Shiro Amada, descend from the cockpit onto the ground via an elevator.

He intended to go up and say hello, but the other person bypassed him and hurriedly ran to Apsaras, excitedly looking at and touching this and that.

"Uh, boss, that Zeon officer is still waiting!"

Amuro glanced at Aina and then at Apsaras, wanting to get closer to both of them. However, seeing that Aina hadn't let go of Shiro Amada's hand, he could only sigh and follow Macarius to check on Apsaras.

Reminded by Amuro, Makarius awkwardly reached out his hand to Norris.

"Macarius Crinni!"

"Norris Baccard!"

"Your MA is very good, but remember to change it to the Federation Army's insignia and paint scheme next time. Also, I personally suggest you paint it red!"

Norris was both amused and exasperated. How could this person's first words to him be something like this?

"We'll consider it!"

He could only nod and then agree.

"So, shall we talk about something else?"

Makarius pointed to a deserted corner to the side.

After giving Andrei a look, the latter, along with several armed guards, blocked everyone's view, leaving only Makarius and Norris behind.

"Actually, this isn't the first time we've met!"

Makarius wasn't trying to curry favor. Before Zeon and the Federation broke off their alliance, their relationship was quite good. He had attended many Zeon banquets with his mother and had even met the head of the Sakhalin family, though they were still alive at that time.

"I imagine you must be heartbroken to see the Sakhalin family reduced to this state, right?"

"There's no point in saying all this now!"

"Okay, two choices!"

Markarius nodded, then held up two fingers.

"First, the Kinias battlefield uprising. This way, I can find him a very good position in the post-war Zeon Republic, and you won't have to abandon your ancestral reputation. However, the downside is that it's rather conspicuous, and your safety cannot be guaranteed. You should know how those old men of the Sakhalin family died, right?"

Norris nodded silently.

The devastating attack that awakened Makarius was the main reason that took away most of the members of the Sakhalin family, which is why he is so sensitive to assassinations now.

"Secondly, you should change your appearance, abandon your past identities and honors, and move to a new environment. This will make you safer!"

"So, what's the price?"

Norris then asked, "Miracles and magic don't come for free. The two conditions that Markarius promised would require a great deal of energy to fulfill. Norris didn't doubt whether the other party could do it, after all, the name Clini said it all, but the price certainly wouldn't be easy."

"Get to work!"

"You want the loyalty of our entire family?"

Norris raised an eyebrow. Sure enough, this Federation ace also had his own ambitions, because he said it was for me, not for Kliny, and not for the Federation!

"Yes, Kiniassakhalin's talent is what I value most, so in order to obtain him, I will naturally meet your needs, but in return, I need you to serve me!"

"What if I refuse?"

"Then, first you and Miss Aina will die here, and then Mr. Kinias. Don't doubt whether I can do it or not. What I can't have, no one else can have either!"

Norris looked directly into Macarius's eyes and felt a jolt of emotion. He could clearly feel the killing intent that the other man was exuding.

"The Zabi family's Zeon is already a sunken ship. They didn't give you any benefits to make you work so hard!"

“I understand. So, how should I convey this message to Master Kinias?”

"I've prepared a Deda for you. You should know how to drive it, right?"

"Am I the only one?"

"Yes, Miss Aina and Apsaras will stay with me. Also, as the price for letting you go back, I want two Flying Tigers. Don't ask me how I know; there are many people in the Zeon army who want to get tickets from me!"

"Okay, but I have one request too!"

"what?"

"Keep that guy away from my young lady!"

Norris pointed at Shiro Amada.

"No problem, my medical unit will be a good place. Oh, I forgot to mention, Zeon Deikun's daughter is also here with me!"

Norris could no longer remain calm. He quickly turned around and glanced at the people in the distance, trying to find evidence among them, but after looking for a long time, he found nothing.

“If I were you, I would naturally agree. If Kinias is being unreasonable, I'll just kidnap him. You're the one who can truly shoulder the responsibility in this family, my friend!”

Norris then turned to say goodbye to Aina. He didn't say anything, but Aina guessed what he was going to do. She could only give him an awkward smile and watch him leave.

"Sir, I'd like to ask..."

"Lieutenant, what is your current status?"

After Norris left, Shirou Amada, though unaware of what had happened, still wanted to ask Macarius how he intended to deal with Aina. However, before he could finish speaking, Macarius interrupted him.

“You’re a Federation soldier!” “Then do what you’re supposed to do. Have you forgotten about Iphishu Island?”

"Report, no!"

"You and your squad can leave. Today's events are to be completely sealed off, and all records must be destroyed. If I find out that you have leaked even a single thing, I guarantee, Lieutenant, that you and your squad will never see a single glimmer of starlight in the Earth Sphere again in your lifetime!"

"Yes!"

Amada Shirou could only retreat with some fear, but just as he was about to leave, he was suddenly stopped by Macarius.

"We can talk about it after the war. It's a bit difficult for a second lieutenant to settle down and start a family!"

"Yes!"

Amada Shirou took a few steps, his expression turning to ecstasy. He had figured out what Macarius meant. Then, he turned around again, saluted Macarius, and rushed off to rejoin his teammates as if he had been injected with adrenaline.

"Yudin, go and call Sera here, and our guests too!"

Soon, Aina, who had just seen off Shirou Amada, was taken by Hotaru Nagase to Macarius's small command tent. Also arriving was Sera, who had become the chief nurse of the combat group.

"Sera, this Aina Saharin is also under your jurisdiction!"

"what?"

"What are you 'oh' for? We're all from the same hometown, what's wrong with looking out for each other? Besides, in some ways, you're all pretty much the same, both of you have broken homes, parents who have passed away, and troublesome brothers!"

"But isn't she a pilot?"

"Then I'll send her to work under Chief Maintenance Officer Sakaki Kiyoshi and swing a sledgehammer!"

"Forget it, I'll leave it to you!"

Sera gave Markarius a resentful look. Why was he so eager to stuff girls into her hands? Was she a nanny?
"Don't look at me like that. I know you're happy. You're welcome!"

"Stupid!"

Sera then gave Macarius the middle finger and left with Aina.

"Let me show you some clothes, this Zeon uniform is too conspicuous!"

"Thank you so much!"

"Don't mention it, that guy is very reliable, so you don't need to worry about anything!"

“I understand, but Miss Sera, are you also a Zeonian?”

"Yes, that's my alias. My real name is Artesia Som Deacon!"

"Oh! Huh?"

Aina was also startled. All the sadness she felt when she parted from her loved ones vanished, leaving only endless shock! She never expected to encounter someone who couldn't even be mentioned in Zeon.

"I hope I won't be silenced?"

"Don't worry, this is your second home. You don't need to worry about safety; the best pilots in the entire Federation are here to protect you!"

Sera wasn't exaggerating. On the very night the Red Dragon battle group set up camp in the area, Aina had already become familiar with a group of young women in the battle group. Especially after she told the story of her meeting with Amada Shirou, she became the group's darling. After all, what girl at that age wouldn't want to meet a prince charming who would make her heart flutter?

So, a group of guys, including the medical and logistics teams, the combat group command, and even a few female pilots, started a late-night chat, planning to talk about their girlish thoughts until dawn.

Meanwhile, Norris's return alone startled Kinias, especially when he learned that his sister and Apsaras had fallen into the hands of the Federation army, which made him even more anxious.

Norris recounted the entire day's events to Kinias.

"Let me think!"

It would be impossible for Kinias not to be tempted by the conditions offered by Makarius. Although he was engrossed in his research, he was not unfamiliar with the outside world. At present, Yuri's army was being trampled by the Federation army like stray dogs. Yuri had previously mobilized troops to try to launch several counterattacks, but they were all ruthlessly crushed by the Red Dragon battle group. Now, even though Makarius had transferred his troops away from the front line, the Zeon army was still retreating in droves.

Three days ago, the Zeon army was still along the Kazan-Guliyev line, but now they have retreated to Chelyabinsk. Even so, more than 100,000 troops are still surrounded by the Federation army. How long can they hold out? He can figure it out with his own eyes!
However, Kinnias was still hesitant at the moment. After all, he was still a Zeon Major General and received military pay from the Zabi family. Norris also mentioned how Apsaras was easily shot down by Macarius and said that the other party was very familiar with Kinnias' current research project.

"I knew it!"

Kinias then slammed his fist on the table in anger.

"Someone is using our intelligence to pave the way for them!"

That's how people are. If someone does something bad, they might choose to give up because of the pangs of conscience. But once there are examples of people doing it without any consequences, the psychological pressure on a second person to do it is naturally much less.

"These bastards!"

After learning of the failure of the Apsaras Project, Lieutenant General Yuri urgently provided assistance to Makarius. Of course, from his perspective, a project that consumed a large amount of resources and funds during a time of war crisis and failed in actual combat was naturally of little value.

Therefore, it is perfectly reasonable for him to demand the immediate cancellation of the project and the transfer of its manpower and resources to other areas.

But for Kinias, this was unacceptable. To cancel it just like that? What about all the efforts he had made in the past? He had even sacrificed his sister. And now it was all canceled? What kind of nonsense was this?
"Kinias, the situation of our army is not optimistic. We have almost no reserves left for your toys to squander. Lieutenant General Mark Bay has decided to transfer all resources of Project Apsaras to Baikonur Base. You should obey orders!"

"Yuri!"

Kinias wanted to say something more, but Yuri had already hung up the call, leaving him staring at the black screen in front of him.

Kinias finally made his own choice.

"Norris, I need you to contact the Red Dragon!"

"Young Master, have you made up your mind?"

"Yes, that guy is right, we don't owe the Zabi family anything!"

As he spoke, Quinias also praised Makarius.

"At least, Honglong acknowledges my research direction and respects my research findings!"

Kinias was referring to Macarius's request for the Flying Tiger. He wasn't angry at all; on the contrary, he was quite happy. For an ace who had taken down countless enemies while piloting a Gundam to specifically request an enemy mobile suit was an immense honor!

"He wants the Flying Tiger, right? Give it to him. Give him both of the ones that have already been modified!"

Kinias waved his hand generously.

"I can't wait to talk to them!"

(End of this chapter)