Gundam: Changing the World Even with a Mass-Produced Unit

Chapter 20: Heading to the Sea

"That scared me to death..."

In the returning jeep, Amada Shiro sighed in relief upon seeing the straight road ahead. He wanted to chat with Eli to break the tension.

"Do you know? Those military police kept asking me the same questions over and over. If I gave the slightest variation in my answers, they'd immediately interrogate me further. It was so stressful that I don't even want to answer anyone's questions anymore."

As Shiro spoke, he sighed heavily and pulled out an energy bar from under the jeep's seat, munching on it despite his evident exhaustion after the interrogation.

"Serves you right. Who told you to say such things on the battlefield?"

Eli didn't indulge Shiro's complaints.

"This time, you got lucky. They recognized you, and the purpose of that Flying Tiger was just to scare us off. Otherwise, dying in that incident wouldn't have been surprising at all."

Eli covered his face with a magazine to block the tropical sunlight.

"But if it happens again, I still can't accept fighting against Aina."

Shiro understood that Eli was right—it was irresponsible to behave like that on the battlefield.

"…What kind of person is Aina that even you would accept her?"

Out of the blue, Eli posed a question to Shiro.

From what Eli had observed in the series, he already had his own conclusions about Aina.

Undoubtedly, Aina was a kind-hearted person.

However, her kindness was also her downfall. She willingly became a caged bird for Ginias, the one who made her ill, helping him achieve his ambitions and revive the Sahalin family.

Even though Aina knew that completing the Apsalus project would cause countless deaths and that Zeon's war against the Federation was unjust, she still became a puppet without her own will.

Eli found it hard to despise Aina, recognizing her as a victim swept up by war.

That didn't mean he would hesitate to pull the trigger when necessary.

"What kind of person is she? I don't really know either... Strange, isn't it, Eli? I've only spent a few hours with Aina, and I didn't even know her name until we parted."

As Shiro spoke, he steered the jeep with one hand while using the other to retrieve a pocket watch from his jacket.

During his earlier interrogation, the pocket watch had been confiscated and meticulously inspected. When Shiro was cleared of suspicion and got it back, the military police had given him a sly smile.

Click.

Shiro opened the pocket watch, revealing a carefully preserved photograph inside. It was a picture of Aina and another man—Ginias.

However, Shiro didn't know the relationship between the two and could only sigh to himself again.

"Yeah... Why is that?"

Shiro couldn't articulate his thoughts, so he mockingly put the pocket watch away in his jacket.

"Actually, that's Aina's brother," Eli said with a smirk, unable to resist teasing the visibly dejected Shiro.

"WHAT?!"

Shiro's shocked shout was so loud that the jeep's front wheel hit a rock on the roadside.

As the vehicle flew into the air, Eli let out a rare laugh.

"Next time, stop making assumptions and give me a proper 'Thank you, Commander!' instead!"

---

"Do you two realize how critical the situation is? Even a single jeep is a resource that must be cherished!"

Captain Kojima uncharacteristically lost his temper.

Despite being a rising ace pilot even recognized at Jaburo, Eli could only lower his head and endure the scolding like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.

After the jeep landed, it had flipped over, leaving its transmission system irreparably damaged. Fortunately, Shiro and Eli weren't injured. They were eventually picked up by Captain Kojima, who happened to be returning from the base as well.

"Fine... From now on, your squads will merge, and you'll need a new callsign. For now, I'm thinking of '86.' Do you have any other suggestions?"

Captain Kojima sipped water to soothe his throat after his outburst, then gave Shiro and Eli a sidelong glance as he awaited their responses.

"86... Huh, not a bad name," Shiro muttered, glancing at Eli, who inexplicably wore a mischievous grin. Shiro was about to suggest swapping the two digits but decided against it.

"Can we call ourselves the Vanguard Squad instead?"

"No."

"Oh."

After his suggestion was rejected, Eli begrudgingly signed the necessary paperwork. Naming the squad "Vanguard" might have caused operational misunderstandings, so it wasn't suitable as a callsign.

"...Eli, take care of yourself."

When Eli handed the signed documents to Captain Kojima, the captain gripped the papers and, with an unreadable expression, gave him an unsolicited reminder.

The comment seemed cryptic, but Eli noticed Kojima's hand resting on Colonel Ethan's signature.

Eli and Kojima locked eyes for a long moment before Eli nodded.

"I understand. Don't worry."

Nothing was explicitly said or clarified—it was merely a superior expressing concern for his subordinate.

"Good. Now, Team 86, listen up."

Eli and Shiro immediately stood at attention.

"I'm assigning your first mission as Team 86. You'll head east to carry out orders!"

"Eastern? You mean Burma?" Eli asked, maintaining his formal posture.

"No, farther east."

Kojima smirked and raised his cup.

"Head to the sea and rendezvous with another unit sent by headquarters. Incidentally, you're somewhat connected to that unit."

Amid their puzzled looks, Kojima drained his cup.

"The Medea transport will arrive soon. You have two hours to assemble your team. A friendly tip—be prepared for a rough landing."

This marks the beginning of the final ripple.