Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Part 2 Begins - Central Knights
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# 76
Part 2 start. -Central Knights.
The matter of establishing the new lab was wrapped up with a brief agreement.
There was no need to bring along experts or draft up complicated contracts.
It was a venture started on trust, after all.
As I was finishing up and about to leave the lab, Fontana grabbed me for a moment.
"Anything else?"
"Gotta take this guy with you."
-Beep! This is R3D3, Ver.06, fully upgraded. Looking forward to working with you, Master.
"...
You tinkered with the AI again?"
At my question, Fontana looked flustered for a second.
"I tried fixing it up a bit, but I must've messed something up. It failed."
"It seems even more messed up now."
-My purpose is to assist Master to the fullest. Join me, R3D3, now empowered by the Creator's grace.
"...
Ahem!"
Fontana turned his head away completely.
I stared at him for a moment before ordering R3D3 to switch to clothing mode.
"Looking forward to working with you too."
-Yes, Master!
I'd figured I'd only get it around commissioning day.
After commissioning, restrictions on personal items loosen up quite a bit, so I'd already asked for R3D3 to be prepped.
'Guess I can leave it with them for a few days.'
R3D3's fit felt better than before.
I'd requested it so the hideous look from activating the left arm's cannon function wouldn't show externally, and it seemed properly implemented.
"Alright, I'm off. Take care of the lab."
"Yeah. Don't worry about us and just stay injury-free for that year. We all starve without the boss."
"Haha, got it."
*
After wrapping things up at the lab, I gathered the group and headed out.
For providing the red byproducts, we'd agreed to give each of the four a stake—adjusted for value, set at 1% each post-adjustment.
"Stakes? That's good stuff, right?"
"I'll gladly take it."
Roze was her usual indifferent self, while Barton expressed thanks in his typical deadpan way.
Just the vibe of "if you're giving, I'll take it."
Merdi, though, grilled me thoroughly.
"You would've tossed that stuff if I hadn't told you to hold onto it, right? Why not just pay us off and call it done instead of dragging us into shares?"
"Isn't getting tangled up a good thing? It's Lemon's lab."
"You stay out of it."
Merdi had my intentions pegged.
As perceptive as she was, she knew her own standing too.
These four, already dubbed the Miracle Generation, were building serious name recognition.
And in the near future, they'd wield influence to match.
'No need for lies.'
Instead of fumbling with excuses, I laid out the truth.
"Because I want to do it together."
"...
What the hell?"
Merdi flinched.
"You're all so talented. You're just riding our coattails for the perks later."
"...
Shameless."
"So, can't you accept? Even if I converted it to cash, it'd be a headache."
Merdi fell silent.
Then Roze piped up, lifting her head.
"Lemon? But hey..."
"Yeah?"
"Do we really need to go that far? We're friends. We'd help just if you asked."
"...
Um."
My face heated up a bit.
I tried to respond, but seeing her eyes wide and earnest, utterly matter-of-fact, my mouth shut again.
"Right? Lemon's overthinking it. Isn't she, Merdi?"
"...
Yeah, maybe."
"Speak up, Barton. Sahim too, right?"
Merdi mumbled some vague agreement.
Barton and Sahim averted their eyes awkwardly.
Everyone seemed uncomfortable.
'...
Ugh.'
Anyway, the awkward vibe was reset when Roze took the lead, suggesting we hit the city for fun.
We shuttled an hour to the central district.
But the airstrike aftermath lingered—repairs were in full swing, nowhere near cleared.
The excited group deflated instantly.
"Looks like fun's off."
"Wanna shop instead?"
"No way! This is our last chance to hang out."
It'd been six whole months since our last outing.
And with outing zones restricted, plus Terra in this state, no wonder the mood tanked.
'Just bad luck.'
Our class's academy life had been especially eventful.
No surprise we craved downtime.
With no leave for the full year post-commissioning, this breather felt essential.
"Roze is right. Let's make it fun somehow. I'll search up options."
"Yay~!"
Despite the rough conditions, we cadets desperately squeezed enjoyment out of the day.
Thus passed our final pre-commissioning hours.
***
Commissioning day finally arrived.
Cadets boarded unit-assigned transports, scattering one by one.
Most paired up in twos or threes, but I was solo.
Not even told which unit—explanation pending until today.
'What the hell?'
Ended up waiting endlessly at the station.
Thanks to that, I watched all my classmates depart.
"Lemon."
Roze approached.
She and the other three Miracle Generation members weren't formally commissioned yet, but all got frontline postings.
Not just any frontline.
They were each assigned to Triple Link sector to help establish the new 4th defense line.
The ordeals ahead were vivid in my mind.
'This is how it goes for them.'
Unlike other cadets, they started hardcore from day one.
For the Union military with no patience for coddling future stars, it was par for the course.
"...
Keep in touch, no matter what."
"Yeah."
Roze fidgeted with her hands, looking wistful.
She and the other three were at least on the same planet-ish zone; I was the outlier.
"Survive the year. We'll sync leave later."
"Yeah!"
Her face brightened as she waved and boarded the transport.
The others were already aboard.
We'd promised reunions so many times, further goodbyes felt awkward.
Then, through the transport window, Merdi's face appeared.
Our eyes met for a while, it seemed.
Maybe an illusion from the thick, light-refracting glass, but it lasted until the ship lifted off.
'...
They're all gone.'
Finally, their transport vanished, and I scanned the area.
The station, now empty of admins, was dead quiet.
"Ah..."
I'd thought it'd be fine, but alone, their absence hit hard.
Doubts crept in about handling things solo ahead.
'When's this guide showing?'
My irritation grew at the no-show escort.
Three hours waiting already.
No sign, mood souring fast.
As I stewed, planning to chew them out on arrival—and debating another contact—finally, a transport touched down.
"...
Huh?"
The markings were awfully familiar.
'No way?'
I doubted, but spotting the cockpit figure's uniform approaching confirmed it.
"You're Leonard Monarch?"
My escort wore Central Superhuman Unit gear, proving her superhuman status.
"...
Y-Yes, that's me."
"Made you wait long?"
I glanced at her face.
East Asian vibe, brown bob cut.
Cat-like features, beauty mark by one eye.
Her first words hinted warm personality, but maybe just greeting me—hard to tell.
"No big deal. This much is fine."
"Good to hear."
She stopped before me.
Even two steps away, her scent flooded in, imprinting deep in my lungs.
Not overpowering perfume, but naturally enticing.
More like a person's innate, soothing, inviting aroma.
'Albana native?'
Top guess: Albana planet origin.
Only natives had such potent, unique body scents.
Albana has unique mushrooms.
Long-term staple diet alters the scent.
It intensifies to a peak post-change; she'd maxed it.
'Definitely alluring.'
Just as I'd hoped in settings, but smelling it real drew me naturally.
Albana was a backwater without specialties.
Post-scent discovery, it boomed briefly.
People imported mushrooms for the scent, boosting the planet.
But bliss ended fast.
Offworlders developed issues—not scent, but stench.
Not soothing like Albanans, but nose-wrinkling foul.
Stopping intake faded it fully, but exports halted.
Albana reverted to poor rural world.
Hard to meet natives direct.
Yet here, suddenly, one.
'Is she really a stranger?'
Original character?
Something flickered in memory.
She caught my frown.
"Oh, the smell? Bear with it if you can. Can't help it."
"Ah, no. The scent's nice. Just thinking... You're from Albana, right, Senior?"
"Huh? Yeah. How'd you know?"
"It's famous."
"Nah, that's ancient history, half a millennium back. You don't mean something else, do you?"
She narrowed her eyes.
I clocked her drift instantly but played dumb.
"...
Huh? Something else?"
"Oh, no. Sorry..."
She waved it off flustered.
Then led me to the transport.
'As if I wouldn't know.'
Albanans' scents make them sex symbols regardless of gender.
Wealthy heirs even hired them as bed warmers.
"Oh, right, haven't introduced myself! I'm Tana Silva. Central Superhuman Unit, as you see. Nice to meet you, junior."
"Ah...!"
Tana Silva.
The name clicked now.
She appeared briefly in the original, under a page, but her role mattered.
'Darmosa Suppressor.'
Or Darmosa Admirer—Tana Silva held unwavering love and respect for Darmosa despite 60-year gap.
How devoted? She spearheaded aid during his rampage 'that incident.'
'Only now it hits...!'
Darmosa's mentally fragile.
He endures partly knowing retirement won't bring peace, but also Tana's steadfast support.
Without her, he'd have rampaged already, not 15 years hence.
"What, just figured it out?"
"No, Darmosa mentioned you once."
"...
You really are tight with Darmosa! Wait, what'd he say? C'mon, spill."
She lunged, eyes sparkling.
'Bingo.'
Her unmasked feelings for Darmosa shone.
Wild—a woman 40 years her senior so purely, blindly smitten.