Chapter 66 – Kyaaah!? S-So It Always Comes to This!?

"-- A 'special unit'...?"

Letaria tilted her head and murmured the unfamiliar term back.

Milea had returned from Grain's hospital room to Syn-Fibra's private lab, and now sat facing Letaria directly -- not the deep-violet machine visible through the glass behind her, but Letaria herself.

"Yes. A classified special unit project our main development division has been running... internal code name: 'Letariem.' The design is built on data that you and Arden have been generating up to now. But..."

Milea paused, and let out a long, resigned breath.

"The more I look at the schematics, the more I'm convinced there is simply no pilot in existence who could handle this machine to its fullest capacity -- except you."

"So -- I would be switching over to this 'Letariem' machine?"

"No. We don't have the budget or the time to build a new frame from scratch. So instead -- the components arriving from headquarters for the Letariem will be installed directly as a full modification of Arden."

"Oh my! How impressively elegant! ...Come to think of it, Milea, that name -- 'Letariem' -- I feel as though I have heard something like it before..."

Letaria's brow furrowed. Milea held her gaze and allowed herself a small, slightly wicked smile.

"Yes. I named it. After your name -- Letaria."

The moment the words landed, Letaria drew herself up with magnificent, self-satisfied bearing.

"Ohohohoho! Naturally! Having my noble and magnificent name bestowed upon it is nothing less than the appropriate course of action! It seems the people at headquarters have finally caught up to my true brilliance!"

Letaria's signature laugh rang through the lab. Watching it, Milea felt something in her chest quietly relax. After revealing the truth of her origins, Letaria had worn a grave expression for a time -- but here she was: exactly herself. Nothing had changed.

"Speaking of which, Milea. What is a 'special unit,' exactly?"

Letaria put the question forward. She had heard the term before -- more than once. The freelancer Twoin, whom she had fought alongside, had called Arden a "special unit." She remembered that clearly.

"Special unit -- literally, shorthand for a machine with a 'special purpose or special characteristics.' Machines like the corps' Rude, suited to a broad range of applications, fall under 'general-use.' Military machines like the Riese I'm giving Grain are 'military-use.' There are rough categories like those -- and the special unit falls into none of them. It's purpose-built for a specific individual or a specific situation, and for nothing else. ...The combination of you and Arden right now is, in the most literal sense, one of a kind. There is nowhere in this vast sea of stars where anyone could replicate it."

At Milea's explanation, Letaria's eyes went wide and starry in an entirely childlike way.

"Oh my! Heheheh, your eye for quality really is something, Milea! You clearly understand exactly how noble and exceptional I, Letaria Adeniam, truly am! Very well -- I shall award you special commendation!"

"Hehe. I'm honored, my lady."

Milea laughed with genuine amusement and turned to her data pad.

"The plan is to carry out a substantial modification of Arden using the Letariem-spec components -- but the logistics from headquarters are backed up, so the main work will have to wait a bit longer. ...Now, there is one other thing."

Without warning, something gleamed behind Milea's glasses. A sharp, scheming glint.

At the same moment, from the shadows at the edge of the lab -- pale blue hair with pink highlights emerged in little bobbing movements, exactly like a small animal that had spotted prey.

"Fufufufu...♪"

"S-Sora-sama...?! When did you get there -- ?!"

Even with Letaria's magic senses honed to their current sharpness, Sora had concealed her presence completely. And now here she was, having crept up from behind, grinning with unmistakable intent. Milea in front, equally untrustworthy. The combined atmosphere of the two of them sent a cold premonition down Letaria's spine.

"Letaria -- I'd like to conduct a thorough technical investigation into that 'magic' energy you told me about. And Sora needs precise vital data on your current physical state in order to design the new suit."

Milea said it with a smile that did not improve the atmosphere. Sora raised a pink measuring tape in both hands, eyes blazing.

"Now then, my lady! In order to create the finest and most powerful knight-suit possible, we'll need you to remove all of your clothing first! A full and thorough examination -- every last measurement -- coming right up! Fufufufu...!"

"Kyaaah!? S-So it always comes to THIS!?"

Letaria's dismayed shriek echoed helplessly through the sealed lab.