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

Chapter 210 Dawn of Peace
During his inspection of Zeonic, Makarius also took the opportunity to test the controls of the Warrior. Compared to the older mobile suits, the Warrior was indeed easier to use. However, due to the change in the operating system, experienced pilots who were used to piloting previous Zeonic mobile suits found it difficult to adapt to the Warrior's operating system.

Even Marcarius struggled a bit on his first try, but in just a few minutes, he was able to operate the machine with remarkable fluidity, performing a variety of tactical maneuvers.

Even in a simulated battle, he drove a Warrior and took down three GMGSs in just thirty-two seconds.

However, the reverse is also true; the GM GS can also perform at 100% in the hands of Makarius. Its beam rifle remains accurate and deadly, and in the simulation, he even used it to beat the warriors to a pulp.

Such a monstrous performance once again stunned the entire Zeon community, especially the designers at Zeonic. They had previously harbored great doubts about the Red Dragon's strength, but now they could only sigh helplessly.

"Time is of the essence; the Warriors' design still has some problems!"

"Perhaps the new Jingbaofan could, but the chance is gone!"

The Kampfer that Zeonic's designers referred to was a high-performance assault mobile suit developed after the MS-14 for the final battle on the homeland. However, due to the Federation Forces' rapid progress, this mobile suit had not even started production yet.

However, Makarius was quite interested. After reviewing the relevant information on the YMS-18 prototype Kymbovan, he immediately agreed that Zeonic should continue to produce and test Kymbovan. Like Kymbovan, there was also the YMS-15 Strongman. This machine was developed by the Zmad Corporation to compete with the Warrior, but it was eliminated because it was not equipped with a matching beam rifle and the beam weapon had low power.

At this moment, Makarius finally remembered that besides being a pampered lord, he was also the chief architect who worried about the future development plan of the Federation's mobile suits.

Zeon possesses a diverse array of mobile suit technologies, a rich treasure trove that would sustain the Federation for a long time.

Almost simultaneously, after receiving a detailed report from the advance troops of the occupying forces on the specific situation within Zeon, a large contingent of the Federation government and Federation Army headquarters set sail from the newly renovated Abaoa Sky Fortress and officially entered the Zeon space domain.

Thus, Dalcia and his administration team once again experienced the humiliation of warships entering the country's borders. And seemingly to spite Zeon, the first ship to enter the starport was not Reibil's new flagship (his old flagship, the Phibe, was sunk at Abaoa Fortress), but the Magellan-class flagship that had been stationed on Zeon's homeland.

Fortunately, the former admiral of the Federation fleet had retired, otherwise the Federation would have had to bring back the entire opposing team.

"This is much harder to deal with than that lieutenant colonel!"

Looking at the federal government team, whose entourage and assistants alone occupied an entire transport ship, Darcia once again smiled wryly at the commander of the defense forces beside him.

The latter could only let out a silent sigh, then, along with Darcia, raised a bright smile to greet the newcomers.

What followed was a formulaic greeting and a formulaic speech ceremony. The Zeon civilians participating in the welcoming ceremony at the dock clapped so hard their hands hurt. Although they didn't care at all what the special envoy said, the reason they were so willing to work so hard was naturally because the Zeon government had promised to pay them two hundred heits each, with deductions for poor performance.

Therefore, in order not to lose money, everyone had to give their best, and the results naturally satisfied the Federation envoy, because after seeing the feedback, he felt that his level was already the same as Gihren's.

The arrival of the main force also meant that the Zeon caretaker government's functions had come to an end. The very next morning, Darcia delivered a national address, announcing that the Principality of Zeon would abandon its original principality system and revert to a unified republic.

Darcia became the first prime minister of the new Zeon Republic!
Of course, becoming a republic does not mean the end; it is only the beginning. Subsequently, Prime Minister Darcia, on behalf of the government of the Republic of Zeon, announced that he would jointly establish a one-year war investigation committee and a special trial court with the Federation to declassify and review the various atrocities and war crimes that occurred during the one-year war, and to try the war criminals who committed the crimes.

In addition, Prime Minister Darcia, on behalf of the government of the Republic of Zeon, announced the first executive order of the new government, which was to lift the blockade that Zeon had been under for many years and restore Zeon's transportation routes to the Earth Federation, Side 6, and the lunar city.

Almost at the same time, Federation transport ships carrying civilian supplies also entered Zeon ports. Although the types of supplies were not many, they gave Zeon civilians more choices in addition to their rations. The good news was that the state-run stores that sold these supplies also accepted Zeon Marks.

Although an apple costs five thousand marks due to currency devaluation, fortunately, ordinary Zeon families have saved up a lot of money. They had nowhere to spend it before, but now that they finally have the opportunity to spend it, they naturally won't miss it.

Everything seemed to be coming to life, but for the government of the Republic of Zeon, the hard times were just beginning.

The first issue that the Federation and the Zeon government need to address is war reparations. Although the Earth itself did not suffer severe damage in the landing operation, the federal government's expenses are still staggering. After all, the losses and expenses incurred outside of the Earth itself are also readily apparent.

The fleet and space facilities lost during the Battle of Britain and the Battle of Loum, the army that was frantically expanded during the war, and the weapons produced, the most noteworthy of which are the nearly 20,000 mobile suits of various models produced. In addition to these, there are also the reconstruction costs of outer space colonies such as Side 1, Side 2, and Side 4.

The cost of building a colony satellite is in the hundreds of millions, and the resources and personnel required are countless. Yet, such a magnificent artificial celestial body, built at such a huge cost, can be completely destroyed in a short moment by the cannon fire of a fleet.

Starting from the first year of the Universal Era, it took the Federation decades to successfully establish seven colonies at Lagrange Point, while the Zeon fleet completely destroyed three of them in a single week.

Although most of the space inhabitants perished in the war, many refugees survived. Now that the war is over, these displaced refugees are naturally eager to return home, but the cost of rebuilding the colony satellites will naturally have to be borne by the Zeon government.

"Why do you guys like fried food so much?"

The Federation negotiating team completely disregarded the Zeon people's pleas and sob stories. War reparations were something Zeon had to pay, regardless of whether they had money or not. If they regretted it now, why didn't they do something earlier?
You know to shake your nose when snot gets in your mouth, you know to swerve when your car crashes into a wall, you know to take safety precautions when your baby wants formula. Why didn't you think about that when you were having such a good time?

So, is Zeon truly broke or just pretending to be poor? The answer is, of course, that it is genuinely poor. Zeon's economic situation began to deteriorate rapidly in the 60s, and by the time the war started, the Zeon government was actually bankrupt. They thought they could overthrow the Federation government in one fell swoop by relying on mobile suits, but after a series of flashy maneuvers, they ended up killing themselves. Now, the Zeon government's warehouses are so empty that even rats would weep at the sight of them, and they would even like to dig out their own reserves to put in them. How can they possibly afford to pay compensation?

Then, we move on to the next stage: asset auctions. The most valuable assets of the current Zeon government are its military-industrial complex and the various types of ships captured by the Federation.

At this point, Darcia couldn't help but complain about Commander-in-Chief Gihren's wildly imaginative ideas. Even if Zeon wanted to sell assets, there had to be buyers. The military industrial enterprises could be sold to Earth or the lunar cities, but who would buy the ships? If the colonies like Side 1, Side 2, and Side 4 were still around, they might be interested in brand-new secondhand warships. But now, only Side 6 was left in the entire universe. If they were to buy, they would buy secondhand ships from the Federation. Who would Zeon sell its ships to? The Jupiter Sphere?

Moreover, simply selling off domestic military enterprises would not be enough to cover the compensation amount. In addition, there would be interest to pay, which led Prime Minister Darcia to consider the idea of ​​letting the federal government simply wipe out Zeon in a desperate move.

After all, debts are settled when a person dies!
But that's obviously impossible, so the only option is to continue borrowing from the federal government, and who knows when that loan will be repaid.

With this in mind, Prime Minister Darcia could only accept his fate. Given Zeon's current size, it would probably have to rely on the federal government indefinitely!

While the negotiations between the two sides were in full swing, Makarius also submitted a detailed Zeon investigation report to Rebil, which recorded in detail the current situation of Zeon and his own specific ideas on the demilitarization, de-radicalization and de-fascism of Zeon.

After receiving the report, Rebil read it in detail, just like a teacher reviewing a primary school student's homework. He even stayed up all night reading it because of its huge length and large amount of text. Afterward, he called Makarius to his office.

"I've read your report. It's very good. It seems that appointing you as the commander of the advance fleet was the right decision!"

"Of course, we can't just come to Zeon and be a hands-off boss, eating and drinking all the time!"

Marcarius accepted the praise without hesitation. Although he was humble, he wasn't overly humble; he knew when to be proud. "But you should get some rest too. I've already ordered the second rotation of troops to depart. Once they arrive, the advance fleet will immediately return to Earth. You've been away for so long; it's time to go home and visit, isn't it?"

"Understood!"

"And, Kliny, what are your thoughts on the future?"

"Sir, I want to be the Commander-in-Chief of the Federation Army!"

Rebil, who was drinking black tea, couldn't hold back and spat it out.

"You boy!"

Rebil was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Good, good, that's ambitious. Well then, after the parade, you'll be ready to report on it, right?"

"parade?"

"Yes, if we win the war, we'll have to let those guys in the council show off their power!"

"Should we participate too?"

"You are our army's top ace. If you don't participate, who will?"

"what?"

"What do you mean 'oh'? Also, your military rank needs to be adjusted again!"

Rebil said again in an incredulous tone.

"You've been breaking records all along, kid. The youngest junior officer in our army, the youngest major, lieutenant colonel, and now, you're about to become a colonel. I reckon this record will continue to stand. When I was your age, I was just a clueless naval probationary lieutenant!"

"But now you're the Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Army!"

"It won't be like that for long, and I'm tired too!"

Rebil picked up his teacup again and took small sips.

"Alright, let's dismiss this group. Oh, and by the way, remember to get closer to that little girl from the Deakin family!"

Markarius then saluted and left, while Rebil picked up the report again and examined it for a moment before picking up the communicator.

"Get Gabro here!"

Then, images of Gop and King appeared on the terminal in front of him.

"Have you finished reading the report?"

"I've finished reading it. The young man wrote very well. Although it's somewhat idealistic and naive in many places, if it can really be implemented in this way, it would be a good idea!"

Although Kim said that, he couldn't hide the pride in his eyes.

"But in some places it's a bit too blatant. The Federation's enemies are no longer just the remnants of Zeon, but also involve the Federation's own interest groups. If outsiders find out about this report, it's bound to cause a stir!"

Gopp also expressed his opinion.

"Yes, but I have to admit he's right. During the war, there were cases of our personnel colluding with Zeon. And after the war, such things will not be uncommon. It was certainly difficult to endure during the war, but it's not much better in peacetime!"

Rebil sighed, then continued.

"This report will not be circulated. Also, Gop, what do you think of the recommendations in the report regarding the integration of our military's mobile suit development organization?"

"I have the same idea, but I'm being a bit too cautious!"

"Then let's do it your way!"

Rebil nodded, and then said.

"Let me try my best to contribute a little more and solve your problem!"

"So, you've really made up your mind?"

"Yes, after being in the military for so long, it's time for a rest. Besides, the Federal Council doesn't want to see me stay in this position any longer!"

Rebil then spoke in a nostalgic tone.

"It's about time I went back to my hometown to go fishing or something!"

(End of this chapter)