The day after introducing the new machines to Dearka and Stellar, Roz arrived at the spaceport early in the morning.
With the completion of all scheduled projects, the shipyard that had been operating non-stop had finally entered a shutdown state. The arriving cargo ships carried not only relevant components but also the Haros who had been working at the "shipyard," led by Marvin to Industrial 7.
"There's no need to be this nervous..."
Murrue Ramius's voice sounded behind Roz, and a cup of warm coffee was handed to him. "As far as the handover goes, Marvin and the others are very familiar with it; there won't be any accidents."
Murrue's military uniform had long since changed from the Earth Alliance style to Orb's blue-and-white color scheme. Standing beside Roz, she followed his gaze toward the ships entering and exiting the port.
"There's a lot of stuff being brought over this time, plus the arrangements for the Haros... it's better if I come and oversee it personally."
Roz wasn't one to act formal. He took a sip of the coffee Murrue had just handed him. It wasn't the black Americano she usually preferred, but was made with a single serving of milk and a double serving of sugar. A hint of sweetness amidst the bitterness caused Roz to narrow his eyes slightly.
"But the one who always handles these arrangements is Murrue, isn't it? Strictly speaking, since this Nahel Argama belongs to you, we're all technically working for you now."
Natarle Badgiruel suddenly appeared behind them, raising both hands to show three bags of donuts she was carrying.
Casually handing two bags to Roz and Murrue, Badgiruel stood beside them, opened her bag, and began munching on a donut.
"That's true... so, where's our salary?"
Glancing at Badgiruel, Murrue turned to Roz with a smile. "Watch out for a strike if you fall behind on payments."
In reality, the crew of the former Archangel—now the Nahel Argama—were being paid by Orb; Murrue was simply playing along with Badgiruel's remark.
"I don't have any money left to give you. How about I pay you with my hand in marriage?" Roz joked, looking at Murrue.
"No matter how you look at it, I'd be the one losing out... Natarle, what do you think?"
Murrue passed the topic to Badgiruel, who had been quietly nibbling on her donut like a squirrel.
"Why is the topic back on me?"
Badgiruel arched an eyebrow, swallowed her donut, and looked at Murrue. "I feel like based on that logic, I'm the only one losing out. You, Murrue, are making a pure profit."
As she said this, Badgiruel cast a subtle, fleeting glance at Roz.
Only after realizing that Roz had his eyes wide open, focused entirely on Murrue, did she breathe a small sigh of relief. Like a raw piece of jade covered in moss, she continued to stay quietly in the corner. She waited for someone to peel back that layer of moss, yet when the opportunity arose, she instinctively flinched.
"Wait, that clause was only meant for you!"
Perhaps because he had relaxed, Roz's brain wasn't spinning as fast as usual. For a moment, his train of thought was tangled up by Murrue and Badgiruel. He stood there with his mouth agape, looking utterly incredulous.
"If others heard that, it would be bad for Natarle's reputation."
In fact, Badgiruel wouldn't have minded such a "wonderful misunderstanding." Unfortunately, whether due to a certain "devotion" to Murrue or simple "denseness," Roz subconsciously kept his distance from the women.
Currently, both Roz and Badgiruel were like stones when it came to their emotions; without some external force to disturb them, they would likely stay in place for a lifetime.
Murrue, meanwhile, was contemplating whether or not she should be the one to "move the stones."
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The three of them didn't have to wait long. A cargo ship, so heavily modified it was almost unrecognizable from its original prototype, arrived at the Industrial 7 spaceport. A massive component, housed in a gargantuan "shipping container," was mounted to the underbelly of the ship.
"Good morning, Big Brother Roz."
Marvin, dressed in work clothes, walked toward Roz and the others immediately after disembarking from the cargo ship, offering a somewhat non-standard military salute.
"Mm, good morning, Marvin."
Looking at the young man before him, Roz began his inquiry. "Is everything okay with the cargo in this ship?"
"Don't worry, Big Brother Roz. The Narrative A-Packs and the Dendrobium are ready to join the fight at any time—not to mention the Armed Armor series we've been carefully protecting all the way here."
Marvin chuckled and began detailing the status of the related projects. "Additionally, with the project's completion, we've cleared all remaining data from the shipyard and placed it into shutdown mode."
"Mm, good work."
Roz scrolled through the tablet Marvin had handed him, but after seeing one specific entry, his expression became bewildered.
"But... what's the deal with this entry: 'Three Jestas manufactured via VTuber livestreaming revenue'?"
VTuber, revenue, Jesta—Roz recognized all three terms individually, but when combined, he found himself unable to understand this somewhat magical world.
"It's exactly what it says, Big Brother Roz."
At this point, even Marvin, the most steady-minded of everyone at the shipyard, had a twitch in his expression. "You know that the Haros have been acting as VTubers, right?"
"Yeah, I thought it was just a hobby... You don't mean?!"
As if awakened by Marvin's hint, Roz suddenly realized the truth.
"Yes, exactly. Big Brother Roz, look over there at the three Jestas being transported, along with those three Base Jabber flight sub-units. Those are their masterpieces."
Marvin spoke with a hint of helplessness.
Roz looked in the direction Marvin indicated. He saw three Jestas lying on securing racks. While the left shoulders still bore Roz's Unicorn emblem, the right shoulders and various other sections were spray-painted or engraved with various patterns and internet IDs.
Some parts were even painted with 2D anime characters.
If the Jegan Roz piloted back then was a "straight-build" model kit, then these Jestas—condensed from the combined "VTuber revenue" of all the Haros—were based on a lean, professional foundation but covered in a high-concentration of anime-style "water decals."
As the unloading continued, Roz saw the equipment being taken off the cargo ship. It had been spray-painted pink and was covered in paintings of various anime characters.
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Watching Roz in the distance communicating with Marvin, Murrue and Badgiruel stood calmly in place, chatting idly.
"I've actually always been a bit confused... how did you and him end up together?"
Watching the Haros bouncing around Roz, Badgiruel spoke up after a long silence.
"I suppose it was being rescued by him from the brink of disaster time and time after again... he always manages to pop up suddenly at the most dangerous moments and help us turn peril into safety."
Carefully recalling her experiences from becoming the Captain of the Archangel up until now, Murrue smiled. "It was likely a mix of the desire to survive and the sense of security I felt whenever I saw him. Of course, the 'assist' from Big Haro at the critical moment was also essential. In short, after a messy jumble of factors, we just ended up together."
"Still, I don't regret it."
At this point, Murrue scratched her head. "After all, our time together afterward has shown that he's a rare kind of good man..."
"So, what about you? He might not be able to tell, but I see it very clearly... you have feelings for Roz, don't you?"
Although the content of her words sounded like an interrogation before a falling out, Murrue's tone was more curious than demanding. Since there was no animosity between the two, they were simply having a normal conversation.
"To be honest... regarding that matter, I could analyze several psychological points to explain my current state."
After thinking for a while, Badgiruel decided to be frank with Murrue.
"But I think the chief culprit that turned me into this version of myself was likely that time 10,000 meters above the Earth."
Speaking of this, Badgiruel instinctively reached out and placed her hand over the spot where she had once been shot.
The newly grown skin of the wound could feel the warmth of her palm through her clothes, yet Badgiruel felt a sense of "phantom pain."
"I was falling from 10,000 meters in the air—shot in the right shoulder, space suit damaged, losing blood, losing body heat... you could say I was already counting my fingers waiting to die."
"But just as I was resigning myself to fate, he appeared from the clouds piloting the Unicorn, snatching me back from the hands of the Reaper."
"The prince who saves the princess doesn't necessarily ride a white horse; he might be piloting a white MS?"
Hearing Badgiruel's words, Murrue teased her.
"I am a woman, after all. It's normal to have had such fantasies when I was little."
Badgiruel smiled, as if accepting the final outcome. "I just didn't expect that such an unrealistic fantasy would manifest in this way."
"In short, that's how it is."
"Then you'll have to be more proactive; he's a total blockhead."
Murrue waved her hand. "When it comes to romance, he's incredibly dense."
Hearing this, Badgiruel looked at Murrue with a strange expression.
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying you should take the initiative and go on the offensive."
Murrue reached out and pointed at Roz not far away.
"Otherwise, he'll stay a blockhead; he doesn't understand these subtle, winding emotions."
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