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

Chapter 233 The Days of Listening to Order

"Raise your hands, straighten your backs! A bunch of useless trash! You think you can pilot a mobile suit?"

The minor incident in Zeon had no impact on Major Wallace, and even the Nanyang Alliance did not think it was a problem with the recruited pilots, because according to the intelligence they had gathered, it was because strangers frequently appeared at the recruitment points, which led to local residents reporting the incident to the police.

Therefore, after Wallace arrived in the territory of the Nanyang Alliance, he was not subjected to any scrutiny or restrictions. On the contrary, a senior monk entrusted him with an important task, hoping that he could serve as an instructor in the Nanyang Alliance's monk-soldiers unit.

The troops being trained were the mobile warrior pilots of the Nanyang Alliance. These personnel were all monks who had completed their tonsure. When Wallace first saw the dozens of bald men under his command, he was also shocked. He even thought that he would be shaved bald as well.

Fortunately, it was just a false alarm. Unlike the monk soldiers, these outsiders could enjoy the local delicacies and scenery outside of training time. However, what made Major Wallace somewhat unhappy was that he always encountered a few disgusting guys, whether he was strolling around in his spare time or eating during his rest time.

They would start by taking advantage of some casual conversation, and then preach the doctrines of the Order to him.

"I'm here to teach your people driving skills, so why do you all want to recruit me? Is there some kind of KPI involved?"

After being harassed by a few unlucky fellows once again, Major Wallace impatiently took out his small flask, gulped down a few mouthfuls of liquor, and then said.

"It's all because of fate, Mr. Wallace. You've traveled all the way from the universe to come here, which means you and we are destined to meet. Since we are destined to meet, what harm is there in getting to know each other?"

"I don't want to know, thank you, you can leave now!"

Watching Wallace's departing figure, the monks' previously calm faces suddenly turned into expressions of disgust and ferocity.

"Uncle-Master Zhou Ming, how can that guy be so ungrateful? Should we..."

One of the monk soldiers looked at the only monk who hadn't shown any emotion, and then made a gesture of touching his neck.

"No!"

The monk soldier called Zhou Ming shook his head, a half-smile on his face.

“Mr. Wallace is not one of those who come here seeking power; he simply has no goal yet. Therefore, your methods are flawed!”

"So, what should we do?"

"Just let things take their natural course; interest is the best teacher!"

Major Wallace then noticed that the flies that had been swarming around him had suddenly disappeared, and he assumed that his attitude had had an effect.

Then, when his weekend break arrived, Major Wallace prepared to go to the city to have some fun, as usual. But just as he changed into civilian clothes and was about to leave, he discovered that several veterans of Zeon who had arrived with him were also preparing to leave their dormitory.

So, out of politeness, he asked the other person what they were going to do.

"We heard there's a Buddhist ceremony in the city, it's quite lively, we're planning to go check it out. What about you, are you planning to go for a drink?"

"Yes, let's go have a drink. After all, you can't usually get this kind of drink here. Are you all going to the Dharma assembly?"

After receiving an affirmative answer, Major Wallace immediately became interested. After all, what could possibly interest these veteran Zeon soldiers must be a large shipment!
Thinking of this, the major asked the other party to wait for him, and then, under the pretense of changing his clothes, he took a small camera with him.

"Aren't you going to grab a drink?"

"We can drink after we get there, shall we go together then?"

"Okay!"

Upon arriving at the ceremony, Major Wallace expected to witness a bizarre and superstitious shamanistic performance. However, the Order monk who took the stage did not preach any doctrines. Instead, he chatted with the audience about everyday matters in a humorous and relaxed tone, much like a stand-up comedian. Then, he listened to the various ventings of those he had mentioned, much like a late-night radio host.

At this moment, Major Wallace noticed that there were quite a few Zeon veterans at the scene, including some who were missing limbs. They were also venting their frustrations, complaining about how powerful the enemy was, how unhelpful their teammates were, and how their country had abandoned them. The monk, however, showed no impatience and instead patiently guided them.

"The flawed approach has obscured the correct starting point. Whether it's the Federation or Zeon, the wars that have broken out in the past have been meaningless..."

Wallace stood quietly in the crowd, listening intently to everything the monk said, after all, he had experienced that great battle himself.

But as Wallace listened, he sensed something was amiss. The monk's words, on the surface, were about the pain and darkness brought by war, but in reality, they implied that the war between Zeon and the Federation was due to a lack of faith, and that the root of human suffering in the universe was the same...

"This is utter nonsense! Our war is for the sake of the space inhabitants, for the greater good of the Zabi family, and for the lofty ideals of the Supreme Commander!"

A newly arrived Zeon veteran, clearly unable to bear the other party's denial, immediately began to curse.

However, the monk did not get angry at the sudden outburst. Instead, he politely invited the other person up. After a moment of eye contact, the monk put his hands together and said something.

"I felt your pain..."

"Nonsense, I'm perfectly fine!"

"No, you're regretting it because you feel like a deserter..."

Before the monk could finish speaking, the old Zeon soldier's expression changed again. "Shut up, you bald monk, I'm done!"

After saying that, he was about to jump off the stage and leave, and the crowd made way for him. Wallace could clearly see that the old soldier was flushed with excitement, and he almost stumbled and fell to the ground when he walked out of the crowd.

Despite the incident, the Dharma assembly continued, with the monks recounting the suffering of war. Finally, he began to expound on the so-called ideal of universal harmony of the Order Church.

After the ceremony, Major Wallace went to have a drink, and he soon discovered that some of the Zeon veterans who had come with him were already contemplating the monastic philosophy.

This surprised the major, but in reality, it was due to their different identities. No matter how well Major Wallace disguised himself, he was still a Federation officer, representing the victorious side. But the Zeon soldiers were different. Unwilling to accept defeat, they naturally tried every means to find various excuses, such as bad weather that was not conducive to our operations, good weather that was beneficial to the enemy, the lack of support from the people in the rear, and the incompetence of the military industry.

In short, every defeat in war is due to someone dragging you down. Without these incompetent teammates, you could carry the whole team single-handedly.

The monk's words offered a deeper interpretation, attributing the defeat to the wrong path. This resonated with the veterans' thinking, but they remained loyal to Zeon. Therefore, the monk's words merely prompted them to reflect, not to directly negate Zeon's righteous cause.

Seeing that everyone's mind was not on indulgence, Wallace and the others hastily parted ways. Afterwards, he pretended to stroll around the bustling city of the island. Although the atmosphere of the island under the rule of the Order Church was a bit strange, the security environment was not bad. On the one hand, there were fully armed monk soldiers wearing hard spacesuits, and on the other hand, it also benefited from the relatively high quality of the people.

Major Wallace strolled around the district where the shops were located and found no conflicts. Everyone was smiling. The old lady selling fresh food, the vendors with fresh fish in front of her, and even the pimps and young women soliciting customers outside the pink entertainment venues all looked happy.

"That's really strange!"

The major felt awkward, but couldn't quite put his finger on why. He could only blame it on the bizarre behavior of the monks in their rigid spacesuits. "You're wearing that in Earth's environment, and you don't even take off your helmet. Is the oxygen toxic?"
After buying a lot of local snacks, the major casually walked into an inconspicuous Chinese restaurant.

This is the Federation Army's secret liaison point, and the restaurant owner, chef, and waiters are all agents of the intelligence agency.

After ordering a private room and a few dishes, the major handed over all the intelligence he had recently gathered to the waiter, who in turn gave him the latest instructions.

"Operation Zeon has failed. Keep a low profile!"

Upon seeing the instructions, the major could only roll his eyes silently, and then began to eat heartily like a normal diner.

In the days that followed, the major continued in his previous state. However, he also noticed that the wounded veterans were coming to the occasional religious ceremonies quite frequently. The monks who were confessing to these veterans were constantly testing their emotions and preaching to them that physical disability was also a trial. When they finally completed this trial, they would be reborn and become a member of the new order. At that time, all suffering would cease to exist!
Besides the religious ceremony, the major also performed his duties well. After all, he was a veteran officer who had led troops for more than ten years, so training these monk soldiers was a piece of cake for him. While the other Zeon instructors' teams were still struggling, his men were already able to operate the mobile suit named Zani in a simple way.

It was at this time that this small island in Southeast Asia once again welcomed a new group of guests!
"Another batch of disabled veterans?"

When the space shuttle appeared over the island, Major Wallace followed some of his comrades to the airport. The Zeon veterans were looking for familiar comrades, while the major was there to record images of them.

When they saw the newcomers coming out of the airport, they discovered that these people were more severely disabled, many of whom had replaced their limbs with prosthetics, and not just one limb. In terms of the severity of their injuries, these veterans from Side 3 were nothing compared to them.

"These guys are from the Living Dead Legion!"

"Wasn't the entire Living Dead Division wiped out?"

"No, it was the first few that were wiped out. The First and Second Divisions were wiped out on Earth, and the Third Division went missing in Side 4. These guys should be the Fifth Division of the Abaoa Air Force. They were responsible for guarding Sector S!"

"Mr. Kado, how is it? The weather here is nice, isn't it?"

Refusing his companion's wheelchair, Kado, struggling to walk on his own two legs, took a deep breath of the salty, moist air and nodded.

"Earth is indeed the best place for humans!"

"Yes, the purified atmosphere of the lunar city is incomparable to the air on Earth!"

"We can enjoy fresh seafood in the evening instead of eating those tasteless frozen dishes!"

The group of veterans who arrived at the scene were naturally Anabel and his comrades. Despite their reluctance to leave life on the moon and their mutual affection for the beautiful Ms. Nina, Anabel Cardo ultimately chose to leave.

He rejected the peaceful, beautiful, and potentially happy mundane life, because the Zeon style imprinted with the righteousness of Zabi had been ingrained in his bones. No matter how wonderful the reality was, it could not suppress the inextinguishable flame of anger in his heart, making him eager to throw himself into the illusory past.

So-called lovers and friends are not as important as that lofty goal. To put it simply, at this moment, Anabelcardo only wants to fight, only wants to have a revenge battle in which he can run rampant and make his opponents fear.

So he accepted his companion's invitation, boarded the spaceship, and arrived at this place he had never paid any attention to before.

The day after Kado and his group arrived, the island was once again greeted by another group of guests, or rather, hosts, because what arrived on the island were several Dede Flight Traps that had been repainted with the Nanyang Alliance livery, as well as a Fat Uncle Transport Plane.

Then, the monk soldiers on the island guarded Uncle Fatty as if facing a formidable enemy.

"Important person has arrived?"

Major Wallace quickly found a high vantage point to conduct reconnaissance, but he didn't see any important VIPs through his binoculars. What was firmly guarded by the monk soldiers and mobile suits was a huge container with wheels.

The major had seen this thing before. Generally, this type of container is used to transport unassembled mobile suits.

"So, these guys sent over a mobile suit?"

The major didn't think the Nanyang Alliance could have any mobile suits worth keeping secret. After all, the mobile suits they possessed were really quite ordinary. And this mobile suit was kept so secret. Could it be that these guys had gotten a Gundam?
(End of this chapter)