Editing HEAVY OBJECT:Volume3 Chapter 2 (section)

===Part 10===

Froleytia gave a bitter expression within the maintenance base zone.

A deep rumbling shook below her feet every so often. She could see small bits of dust falling from the ceiling.

They could be in serious trouble.

That was her honest opinion. The Wing Balancer still had support from the large scale radar facilities, and it was using its free range of motion to corner the Baby Magnum. With cliffs running through the area like a net, the Wing Balancer had an overwhelming advantage with its ridiculous ability to jump over the gaps between cliffs. Meanwhile, the Baby Magnum’s range of movement was limited, so the princess could not evade as she wanted.

(So we get nothing but silence from the Indigo Plasma and our other allies who were supposed to be keeping it out at sea. Dammit. The reinforcements we had to ensure we would not lose are acting as if we have already lost.)

If the Baby Magnum was pushed back, the Wing Balancer would then turn its sights on the maintenance base zone.

Should she raise the white flag and retreat before that happened?

If the enemy was gentlemanly enough to respond to the white flag of an enemy that had started a surprise attack (an unlikely event, but she was trying to remain positive), the destruction of the Baby Magnum and the maintenance base zone could be avoided.

However, they would lose any chance to recover the soldiers sent out to carry out the surprise attack.

Since she could not contact them by radio, the odds of doing that were already near zero, but making that a definite zero was something else entirely.

“…This is quite a dilemma.”

There was also an issue of very bad timing.

If the maintenance base zone was destroyed with the CS broadcast staff there, the deaths of the mass media workers could light an unwelcome fire among the general public. It might not reach the Sovereign Parliament, but it could be enough to lead to the resignation of some councilors.

(But…)

Froleytia looked down at the radio on her desk.

(If the information we just received is true, retreating would leave a bad taste in my mouth. But that is also no reason to make the civilian CS broadcast staff bear the risk of staying along with us.)

Speaking of the CS broadcast staff that was causing such a dilemma…

“Dammit. What is going on…?” said a girl in a low moan.

The battlefield reporter named Monica was sitting by the wall with her arms wrapped around her knees and fidgeting. She was the type of performer for whom quite a lot relied on her face and general external appearance. The safe country TV station, her performance office, and some military officers had held a meeting. As a result, she alone was to be kept in the “safest place”.

Froleytia had wanted to tell them the safest place was in the Object’s cockpit, but her actual opinion was that even where she was, some dangers remained. For instance, if Monica happened to glance at the laptop Froleytia was using, it was possible she would end up being shot.

However, Monica herself seemed unaware of that danger. The reason was simple.

“No, no, no!! I’ve had it!! Railroad, military, internet, or something… That god damn manager said I would sell better if I had some special focus to distinguish me from others!! But I don’t care about these smelly bases!! You’ve gotta be kidding me! If a shell lands here and my face is horribly burned, I won’t just sell poorly! I’ll have to say goodbye to the entire idol business!!”

That was why.

Basically, the entire “battlefield reporter” thing was just a publicity strategy and she had no experience with the military. The majority of her previous jobs had been in bases where complete control of the battlefield had been achieved and nothing but maintenance was being done. She would come in during the relatively safe periods between battles.

It was unclear if she herself had gotten sick of that or if the viewers had, but the next step had been to head to a maintenance base zone during the relatively dangerous time while an actual operation was underway.

“And! And! I went out of my way to choose a military focus despite not caring about it all, and that bastard isn’t even here!! What is going on!? Why did I even come here if I just end up trembling in some freezing base!?”

Still sitting with her arms around her knees, Monica swayed back and forth while continuing her complaints that seemed directed at god for all Froleytia could tell.

“Dammit!! That maid!! I chose the military just so I could show him the return of the great Monica, so why is that bastard Quenser nowhere to be found!?”

“?”

Froleytia’s eyebrows formed an expression of confusion.

Maid?

Quenser?