Chapter 88 – At Last, I Shall Show the World My Magnificent Brilliance Once More!

The great shadow of Arden fell across the hangar dock.

The new Arden's test flight program had now completed four runs in total. Everything on the current checklist -- from basic responsiveness checks to confirming the behavior of each standard weapon system -- had been worked through without a single problem.

Milea finished the final console checks, closed the screen, and turned to look at Letaria, who had been sitting in a nearby seat with the air of someone quietly running out of patience.

"Letaria. It's done, for now."

"...Done? What is done?"

Letaria tilted her head and looked at Milea's hands with mild puzzlement.

Instead of answering, Milea pointed toward Arden -- specifically at the distinctive armored shoulder and leg components now fitted to the frame.

"In the official data registry, Arden has been formally recorded as a unit repaired using parts based on the general-model Rude. The registration is complete."

"Mm... which means... what, exactly?"

The specialized procedural language was not landing. Letaria furrowed her brow and let out a small sound of concentration. Milea moved around to face her directly, lowered her voice slightly, and explained in plain terms.

"There are conditions -- Syn-Fibra and the Administration Bureau will maintain a degree of ongoing oversight. But this gives Arden a legitimate basis for operating publicly. In other words, we can now take outside work, within limits. -- Though only verified assignments with direct involvement from the Bureau or the Seldia vigilante corps, mind you."

The instant those words reached Letaria, her entire expression changed -- it lit up, all at once, like a lamp coming on.

"Oh my! That means -- at last, I shall show the world my magnificent brilliance once more!"

"Yes, but as I've told you many times -- the inside of this machine is still top secret, through and through. Absolutely no careless remarks when you're out there. Not a word!"

Milea chose not to use the word "falsified" -- deliberately. If she told Letaria plainly that the data had been altered, there was a real risk that at some unguarded moment the girl would come out with "the data is falsified, though!" without the slightest awareness of the damage. The reality was that this was a complete falsification and fabrication -- but even the choice of words was a careful tightrope for Milea right now. Keep it vague, and nothing dangerous would fall from those lips unexpectedly.

"...You really, truly understand. Yes?"

Milea's gaze was long and flat. Letaria shrugged with an amused look, as if the fussing were rather funny.

"I understand perfectly! There you go again -- Milea, you really do worry too much. Who do you think I am?"

Even as she said it, the fact that she could ride her beloved Arden openly again was clearly doing something to her -- she couldn't quite suppress it, and a smile kept finding its way back to her face.

"Then I'll re-register Arden and your pilot code in the data bank before I change my mind."

"Yes, please! Thank you ever so much!"

Milea began working the terminal. Looking up at Arden, Letaria's eyes held something blazing -- a fighting spirit already racing toward the next battlefield, dazzling in its clarity.

Just as they turned to head back from the dock to the lab, the automatic door slid open -- and a figure burst in with considerable momentum.

"Letaria-san!"

Light-blue hair with vivid pink highlights. The small, energetic woman who came bounding toward them was Sora, from the technical team.

"Sora-san. What has you in such a rush?"

Letaria stopped, and Sora responded with a brilliant smile and a double peace sign.

"Ta-daa! The upgraded Noble Lotus is finished!"

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Carried along by Sora's barely-contained excitement, the group made their way to Milea's private lab.

"...You pushed a cart all the way here rather than just showing it in your own lab."

Sora's own lab would have been the obvious venue. Milea was mildly exasperated at her colleague's particular commitment to bringing the thing here in person -- but she found, underneath that, genuine admiration for the enthusiasm.

"Because handing it over right after Arden's tuning is done -- that's the perfect timing! That's the best moment!"

Sora beamed and pressed her chest with pride as she pulled the zipper open on the large silver vacuum bag sitting on the cart.

"This -- is the Noble Lotus II!"

What it contained was the next evolution of the custom pilot suit Letaria had worn before.

The elegant motif drawn from a "dress" -- an echo of Letaria's identity as a noblewoman -- was carried forward intact. The deep noble purple base with its air of refinement suited her image exactly; but the overall silhouette had shifted, noticeably, from its predecessor.

"Oh my...! It has a splendidly noble bearing -- entirely appropriate for me. Though -- has it come somewhat closer to this world's sleeker standard than the previous one?"

Letaria ran her fingers over the surface of the suit, eyes shining. Sora had been waiting for exactly this, and raised one finger with the air of someone ready to make an announcement.

"Exactly! The old suit was gorgeous in a classic way, but this time I've prioritized mobility -- the cutting is designed to restrict your body's movement as little as possible! And most importantly -- the internal impact-absorption cushioning and the G-load mitigation system have been dramatically upgraded!"

Sora patted her own chest with open pride.

"So the next time Letaria-san pushes herself past her limit and the physical load goes through the roof -- the suit will protect you completely!"

"I had such a wealth of precious biological data and damage logs to work from, thanks to you! It did absolute wonders for my research!"

Sora's eyes sparkled with genuine happiness as she described it. Those same eyes -- and what they implied about the thoroughness of the examination she had conducted -- produced an expression on Letaria's face that was equal parts pleasure and something resembling mild horror. She drew back half a step.

"Th-Thank you so very much, Sora-san..."

A brief shudder, but she recovered promptly, set one hand on her hip, and squared her shoulders.

"In any case -- this means that both Arden and I are, in every sense, perfect!"

"Yes! The best combination!"

Letaria sparkled; Sora affirmed it with complete satisfaction. Milea watched the two of them, and let the tension she'd been carrying ease, just a little.

"By the way, Sora."

Milea remembered something and turned to her.

"Grain's custom suit -- how is that coming along? I imagine you had your hands completely full with Letaria's."

The corps captain who had pushed himself past his limits in the fight against Restful and ended up hospitalized -- his equipment was a pressing matter too. Sora waved off the concern.

"Don't worry, don't worry! There's a mountain of accumulated combat data from Grain-san too. I'm working through the adjustments in the background right now -- accounting for G-loads on the same order as what Letaria-san puts her body through!"

"...Good. Because there's no telling when that idiot will decide to pull something reckless again -- just like with Restful."

Milea let out a tired sigh. Sora smiled in deep, sincere agreement.

"Haha, true! Grain-san pushes his machine just as hard as Letaria-san does. It's on us to support them properly from the technical side!"

"It really is. As if keeping this one unruly young lady in line weren't already enough work on its own."

Milea threw a glance at Letaria as she said it -- and the young lady in question, who had been contentedly examining her new suit until that moment, spun around instantly.

"Excuse me! Milea! The nerve of you, saying that right in front of me! I am not unruly -- I am a graceful, full-bloomed lotus!"

"Yes, yes, I know. Come on, let's go eat."

"Oh, don't change the subject! I will not be deflected so easily!"

Milea parried the fuming protest without difficulty. Sora watched them go, laughing.

And so -- Letaria and Arden completed their preparations to return, once more, to the battlefield.