episode_0011

Now that you know Lavender’s talent, it’s time to wear clothes that best suit her.

“Change your clothes. Customized clothes that fit you perfectly.”

“W, here…?”

“…It’s a metaphor. Don’t look at me like I’m a traitor.”

Did he think that by opening the simulator lid and talking, something bad would happen in the cockpit?

Lavender shrank into the cockpit with her hands in an X shape as if to protect herself, and I stepped back with my hands raised.

“We’ve finished checking everything in the simulator, so now all that’s left is to go check the aircraft.”

“Ah…!”

“Harkon Avandarte is an excellent aircraft. But it doesn’t suit you.”

Unlike the origin of the name Peregrine Falcon, Harkon is based on the shooting and mass production type rather than the mobile assault type.

Infantry with firearms, riflemen.

It is an aircraft made with exactly that role in mind, so when you place an order with Toei, if you purchase it in a so-called ‘tin can’, only the aircraft, basic OS, and ‘beam rifle’ are provided.

All weapons such as shields and beam sabers are optional and require additional orders.

Moreover, since the aircraft is not even minimally bulletproof, it only has enough stability to protect the main cockpit.

“Charging into the middle of enemy territory with Harkon is suicidal. Before you charge in and cause trouble, you will be destroyed by the enemy’s concentrated artillery fire.”

“Yes. No matter how much you modify Harkon, there are limits to the mass-produced version.”

“Yes.”

It’s fine just to keep it running as AS, so just sell a lot.

As this is an aircraft frequently purchased by poor colonies seeking ‘cost-effectiveness’, the limitations of the entry-level version are clear.

‘It is said that a new high-performance object, [N Line], was developed some time ago.’

A student I used to tutor as a private tutor was like that.

‘Harkon N? Hey, if I had the money to buy that, I’d rather buy a Condor Sonatia.’

There is already a condor that is one level higher than Harkon, so why buy Harkon at the price of a condor?

Even if you order additional options that only apply to the Harkon N, the price may be higher than that of the Condor.

It is truly an aircraft that makes people say ‘that money’.

“Lavender.”

“Yes, instructor.”

“No matter which aircraft I choose, you will think of ‘cost’ as the top priority, not the specifications of the aircraft, right?”

“Ugh.”

Lavender bit her lower lip as if she had hit the nail on the head.

Lavender was quite immature at hiding her emotions, so as soon as her thoughts were read, Lavender nodded heavily.

“…If it breaks down, the Academy and the colony will be in disgrace.”

“Because I think I’ll break a lot of it?”

“…….”

“It’s okay. The advantage of the Harkon series is that it breaks easily and can be easily repaired. Even if the cockpit and ether engine are destroyed, it is possible to remove those parts and replace them. Unless the main frame gets hit.”

Interchangeable parts are possible by replacing all of the main frame, which can be considered a ‘bone’ in the human body, and in particular, the skeleton corresponding to the spine that extends from the aircraft’s head to the chest cockpit.

Ultimately, it will end up looking like rags, but this is because AS was created with that intention in the first place.

“Harkon N.”

“……Uh, that.”

“The design is no different from the existing Harkon, but the aircraft is said to have similar performance to the Condor Sonatia.”

It may be a statement that makes Condor pilots shake their heads and faint when they hear it, but it is currently the only aircraft at Starlight Academy that suits Lavender the most.

“I really want to let him fly an aircraft like the Five Elements, but it’s impossible to ask him to buy an A-class aircraft when he has no immediate results.”

“Performance….”

“That’s why we build performance.”

“…Yes?”

I gave Lavender a thumbs up.

“In practice.”

“……Yes???”

* * *

afternoon.

-The afternoon is for self-study. Among the weapons provided by Toei, please choose the weapon that best suits you when driving the Harcon N.

-Well, there are dozens of types just for the entry-level model…

-I mean, test everything. Until I returned to the teacher’s office.

-Now, self-study…

After giving instructions to find a weapon that would suit my hand, I went straight into the first staff room.

Sigh.

When the door opens, the people inside look at me and are startled.

People I couldn’t see in the morning were sitting in front of their respective desks doing work, and after giving them a quick nod, I approached the woman inside the teacher’s office.

“Principal Stella. I came here to apply for an external class.”

“External classes…?”

Vice Principal Stella, who was scanning the electronic official documents on her tablet, frowned and slowly stood up.

“Cloud instructor.”

“Yes, vice principal.”

“Isn’t today the instructor’s first class?”

“That’s right.”

“…I understand it’s time to teach Lavender Whiteley.”

“Yes. I am currently self-studying, and I have come to sign up for external classes in advance to ensure efficient training time.”

“……First, sit down.”

Is the official document giving me a headache?

Vice Principal Stella sat at the conference table inside the teacher’s office, pressing her head to her hand for a moment, and I sat across from her.

“To what extent is external?”

“Outside the colony. I’m trying to get to at least S13 point.”

“…Cloud instructor.”

Vice Principal Stella pointed to her tablet.

“As a vice principal, I cannot arbitrarily send students out of the academy. Even more so with a bare body-”

“I understand there is one Harkon N. I would also like to request that it be taken out.”

“…….”

Quick.

Is there something wrong with my teeth?

I suddenly heard the sound of teeth grinding and started to get worried.

“So, you are going to take the students out of the colony and provide education? And to S13 point, which can be said to be the haunt of space monsters?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I would like to do a practical test of using the weapons currently stored in the Starlight Academy dock, along with my reaction when driving the Harkon N.”

“Who is your opponent? Are you in Class A? Instructor Aria must still be in class. Did you meet and talk to her at lunch?”

“No. I haven’t met instructor Aria since class. Also, the opponent is not Class A, but an ether monster from area S13, or a space pirate-”

“Hey ㅡㅡㅡ!!”

Suddenly, Vice Principal Stella screamed.

“What are you asking me to do now that you came here so suddenly?!”

“I am requesting permission for training.”

“So, that means everything from start to finish is wrong!!”

He screams so loudly that the entire teacher’s room trembles.

Even if I don’t scream, my ears don’t have any problems.

“I’m not saying that I’m going to teach you like this from the first day or anything like that, but I’m going to put you into practice right away? And in an area that could be a safety issue?”

“Ah. If there is a need to leave an official document regarding the education plan, I will go back and write it up immediately.”

“That’s a problem, but do you think I’d pay for it in the first place?!”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t know that…! Ha…!”

Vice Principal Stella wrung her hands, then sighed deeply and sat down again.

“Phew…. Good. Let’s make the most of it and say we’re leaving for area S13 tomorrow. Are you going with other students?”

“No. If other students wish to come along, it is possible to observe, but the priority goal is Lavender Whitely’s Harkon N maneuver test.”

“…Is it impossible inside a colony?”

“Yes. Inside the colony…”

I drew a circle by hand.

“Because you can’t make money.”

“……What?”

“During lunch, I already checked the budget allocated to the special platoon. Since the budget was prepared before the division, if the division were to be divided, it would be split in half again in the current situation.”

No matter what educational activity you do, since this is an academy, you must do it within the budget.

“It is a huge budget just to utilize in one platoon. Therefore, rather than waiting for a separate budget to be supplemented, I hope Special Platoon B Group will conduct practical training in an environment where it can earn the budget.”

“So now, are you going to bring ether minerals from outside? Defeating space monsters based on actual tests?”

“Yes.”

“…….”

Vice Principal Stella leans back on the sofa, covering her face with one hand.

His gaze is directed towards the table, and he continues to fiddle with the armrest of the sofa with his fingers, as if he is deep in thought.

“…What are the expected results?”

“It is the cornerstone for winning the Colony Competition.”

“Can Lavender Whitely do it on her own?”

“No.”

You can’t do it alone.

“If you want to do it alone, you will need enough budget to purchase an S-class custom aircraft, then participate in each battle in full condition and fight 1:5 each time.”

“…….”

I don’t even want to calculate the cost, it’s well over a trillion dollars, much more than the colony’s entire operating budget for a year, but where can such a budget be found in this poor colony?

“Time is short and budget is tight. If we do not raise additional funds from outside, we will have no choice but to bring a tin can of Harkon to the colony war.”

“…….”

“How many AS units do you have in Starlight Academy, not Starlight Colony? Among them, how many are the latest models or specialized aircraft rather than the entry-level or mass-produced models?”

This is especially true if the ‘Academy’ is merely an educational institution within the colony.

“If you don’t have such an aircraft currently, you can save up money and buy it. Hunting ethereal monsters and space pirates serves as both practical training and a great way to raise funds.”

“What are you trying to do by earning that much money…?”

“Yes? I told you. They say they want to use the budget needed for educational activities.”

I lifted the paper cup in front of me.

“We ask for your cooperation so that Special Platoon Group B can utilize the funds earned through external procurement as a budget for Special Platoon Group B.”