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

Chapter 11: A Brief Respite in Battle

"I deeply apologize, Lord Ginias. I failed to protect that position."

Norris, his right arm wrapped in blood-stained bandages, spoke with shame to the man before him.

This man was Ginias Sahalin, the current head of the Sahalin family to whom Norris had sworn allegiance.

Yet, calling it a "family" was a stretch. The once-prominent Sahalin family now consisted only of Ginias and his younger sister. This was why the family had found themselves in the Southeast Asian battlefield—a desperate attempt to reclaim their former glory.

Ginias intended to revive the Sahalin family with his grand plan, and Norris, who considered himself a loyal retainer, could not accept that his failure might disrupt Ginias's ambitions.

"It's fine, just a minor setback. As long as the Apsalus project succeeds, these losses are negligible."

Ginias did not hold Norris accountable for the loss of an insignificant artillery position.

"Rest well. The test flight is imminent. Without your escort, Aina wouldn't feel safe in the skies," Ginias said with a kind smile. He even tightened the poorly wrapped bandages on Norris's arm himself.

"Dong!"

Just as Ginias finished re-wrapping Norris's wound, the chime of a clock echoed in the room.

"Creak…"

The sound of a heavy wooden door opening followed.

"Brother, it's time to take your medicine."

The newcomer was Aina, Ginias's sister and the other remaining member of the Sahalin family.

Aina, dressed in standard uniform, carried a tray with a glass of water and some pills. She stopped before Ginias and smiled at him, then turned her gaze toward Norris. Seeing the injury on his arm, a worried expression flashed across her face.

"Are you okay, Norris?"

Aina set the tray on a nearby table and gently lifted Norris's injured arm.

"I'm fine, Miss Aina. It's just a minor wound. It won't affect the Apsalus test flight. Please excuse me; I'll retire to rest now."

Once Aina had reassured herself about his condition, Norris bowed and excused himself.

Ginias nodded, and Aina waved at Norris as he left, leaving the siblings alone.

After Norris departed, Aina turned to face her brother, who was seated on a sofa, swallowing his medicine with water from the tray.

Aina gracefully walked over, sat beside him, and leaned against his chest.

"Brother, your dream is about to come true," she said, watching him take the pills.

"Not quite yet, but we've taken the first step."

Ginias gently stroked Aina's short hair. Though she had cut it for convenience in piloting the Mobile Suit, her hair remained smooth, exuding a distinctly feminine charm, just like Aina herself—beautiful and unchanging in essence.

"How's the status of the Apsalus?"

As the project lead, Ginias was fully aware of its progress, but he still asked Aina, as it was their way of bonding.

"Hmm, everything's perfect, except the air conditioning isn't working well—I'm drenched in sweat," Aina replied playfully.

She had just been in the cockpit helping with adjustments, and she hadn't even changed her clothes before bringing Ginias his medicine.

"I see… Try to bear with it. Making changes now would delay the test flight."

Even when Aina brought up a personal discomfort, Ginias refused to compromise, showing both his dedication and how much he valued her.

Aina did not push further. She lay quietly on Ginias's chest, listening to his heartbeat.

All of this—Ginias's dreams, completing the Apsalus, and reviving the Sahalin family—rested heavily on her shoulders.

Because of this, Ginias couldn't trust anyone else to pilot the Apsalus for its test flights; only Aina would suffice. Yet Aina bore no resentment.

"This is how it should be," she thought, letting her guilt consume her as she yielded to Ginias's decisions.

…

Meanwhile, Amada Shiro closed the delicate women's pocket watch in his hand.

It had unexpectedly chimed, interrupting his nap. The watch always rang at this hour—clearly, it marked an important time for its original owner.

Thinking this, Shiro hadn't reset the alarm or tampered with the watch, even if it disrupted his sleep.

After all, they had just returned to the base to rest, and Shiro, like the others, was trying to catch some shut-eye.

"So noisy. Was that from your girlfriend?"

His roommate and fellow officer, Eli, teased him as he rubbed his eyes and sat up in bed.

Of course, Eli knew the true origins of the pocket watch, but to address it directly would be too blunt—even scandalous.

Besides, Eli was curious about something else.

Now that they had fought against Zeon, how did Shiro really feel about Aina?

"Did I wake you? Sorry. And no, it's not from a girlfriend. How could I think about relationships in times like these?" Shiro apologized before answering the question.

"This was a gift from a friend. I'll probably never see her again, so I keep it as a memory."

Shiro gazed at the watch with a tinge of regret in his voice.

Was he regretting not leaving with Aina when he had the chance? Or was it nostalgia for their time spent together, transcending factions?

Eli didn't press further. He climbed out of bed and began dressing.

"Going somewhere?" Shiro asked, noticing Eli's actions.

"Just heading to prep my Mobile Suit. I've got a weapon in mind I want to use."

Eli didn't hide anything and responded honestly.

"What kind of weapon?"

"A beam rifle."

"What's the point of using that all of a sudden?"

Shiro was puzzled. Beam rifles, while usable by ground-type Gundams, only had enough energy for about ten shots per battle and couldn't be recharged in the field.

Moreover, in the humid Southeast Asian environment, the delicate weapon often malfunctioned, and the moisture in the air even reduced its accuracy. As a result, beam rifles were usually stored away and rarely used.

Eli, aware of these limitations, turned back and smiled at Shiro.

"Just a gut feeling."