Name

"What. So in the end, it's just circumstantial evidence?"

Huh.

I had thought Aaron would fly into a rampage with excitement after hearing the whole story.

I never imagined he'd show such a cold reaction.

"If the circumstantial evidence has piled up this much, it's practically no different from physical evidence."

"How does circumstantial evidence pile up and become physical evidence? If you keep thinking about gold, does gold materialize?"

Aaron clicked his tongue.

"You can't judge it like that just because they mobilized extreme measures to recover the Banshee. Isn't it just as dangerous if a Clan gets its hands on a nuclear generator?"

"That's true, but."

"Conversely, you're saying the Liberation Army currently has the Banshee. Can you assert that it's safe?"

"I can."

"That's only possible from your standpoint. From the Empire's position, we can't say that."

That was also a valid point.

"In the first place, it's not like they took any actions particularly different from what they said at the start. They asked us to resolve the Banshee problem, and in the end, they removed the Banshee themselves."

"The problem is their objective."

"Your claims have increased quite a bit?"

Tss. Aaron smacked his lips.

"That objective is ultimately still circumstantial evidence, too. What, have you ever seen proper evidence? You're telling me to use the Eastern Front's troops to strike at the Southern Front's nobles based on this kind of suspicion? You think that makes sense?"

I understood.

Aaron was in a position where he had to be careful, so it couldn't be helped.

"Anyway, without evidence that they're plotting a war of independence, the East can't make a move. This applies to the other fronts, and even the Imperial Family as well."

"Understood."

"So we have to wait until more solid evidence emerges, then strike all at once."

Ah.

Aha?

"Just because I said all this doesn't mean I'm an idiot. Even without physical evidence or definitive proof, there's still such a thing as circumstances. Just hearing you talk reeks of some crazy old man trying to declare independence."

"Isn't that too harsh?"

"Then what? I'm a noble of the Empire's Ducal House; am I not supposed to curse at someone trying to start a war of independence?"

Of course it should.

It was only common sense.

As expected, an accurate remark befitting Aaron.

"Anyway, according to the plan I just thought up. Cheonmin."

"Yes."

"Are you ready to play politics?"

"Pardon?"

"So you're ready? Then coordinate accordingly and do a good job then. Got it?"

"Pardon?"

Beep.

The connection cut off.

"So, do you know what you're supposed to do?"

"No?"

Peres made a strange expression.

"Isn't it because you're friends who can communicate well without saying much?"

"He didn't even say anything; how am I supposed to know?"

By common sense.

"...Right."

Of course, I could tell what Eily was thinking without her saying a word, but...

***

Two weeks passed.

The Southern Front was terrifyingly quiet.

Not that they hadn't moved, but that there had been no contact whatsoever.

As usual, it seemed they were clearing clans and opening paths.

But the direction had changed.

They were headed toward the Southern Liberation Army.

They were clearing the clans around the roads while minimizing personnel losses, and repaving the roads.

If it had been good intentions, they would have given a hint or sent a communication.

It was clearly strategic road securing, with only a single intention felt.

There was one more terrifying thing.

"Done."

Ian, you crazy bastard.

A truly crazy bastard.

I stood before the Titan and quietly looked up.

It was a colossal frame approximately 18 meters in height.

I couldn't help but keep watching, as if mesmerized without realizing it.

"Originally, my eyes were up there? But looking up from below like this, the feeling is completely different?"

Eily looked all around the Titan as if fascinated.

Then she turned her head toward me.

"You like it that much?"

"Yes."

"This time, I think I know how it feels! A Titan prepared just for me—doesn't it feel totally noble?"

To think she's a gal who even understands an otaku's feelings.

"Yes."

The Titan Ian had been building was complete.

Judging from when he started building after coming here, it had been made in just three weeks.

For others, it was a task that took at least two months.

Ian took a mere three weeks from starting with the frame to manufacturing and completing the armor form.

"How on earth?"

"You just sleep two hours a day and do it."

This was what made him a crazy bastard.

As if anything else could be.

Eily kept wandering around with sparkling eyes.

"It looks similar to a normal Titan! It's black too, and that. That. What was it called? The thing on the eyes!"

"That would be."

"The visor?"

"That thing."

"Yeah! The visor! That's lit up right now, isn't it? The yellow color is the same too!"

Ian tried to speak several times but stopped.

"And that unusual thing over there is amazing too. Why are the fingertips so sharp? Did you get a nail job? There's something like wings on the back too?"

"Explain. And be quiet. My head is ringing."

"Ah, sorry. You said you couldn't sleep."

Eily finally fell quiet.

Ian let out a deep sigh, then dragged over a chair and sat down.

Two hours of sleep a day.

He had only slept about 42 hours over three weeks.

Even counting naps in between, it was about 50 hours.

It was a wonder he hadn't collapsed.

"Fourteen thrusters, hover devices split-mounted below the knees overall. Magnetic coating on all axial joints."

How many thrusters?

"Did you say fourteen?"

"The core is an omnidirectional monitor. Full-body sensors, of course. Can see below the feet too. The wing form attached to the back is…."

"You replicated Fafnir's wings in thruster form after analyzing them, right?"

"Correct."

It was different from the typical shape of thrusters.

It definitely possessed a form closer to wings.

"Then maybe?"

"Flight impossible."

What a waste.

With looks like that, wasn't it a crime for it not to fly?

Icarus flew too; for a Titan that looked like that to be unable to fly was a problem.

Ian continued speaking as if he'd been waiting for this.

"It can fly if enormous output is supplied."

"Do you plan to customize it for flight?"

"I do. If the opportunity arises."

Eily's eyes went wide.

"Really, really, seriously, really?"

"Be quiet. It's only planned."

"Yessir!"

Eily suddenly held out her hand toward me.

Since I was spacing out with an urging expression, I went ahead and high-fived her.

As if that had been the correct answer, she smiled brightly.

Cute.

Ian clicked his tongue.

"Anyway. The current technology only reverse-engineered the wing's directional control technology. I had judged that the technology needed for output enhancement wasn't necessary. I'll need to consult the creator of Icarus."

So that was the issue.

Well, Ian had also been negative about making a Titan fly at first.

The output for ground movement was sufficient even now; he might not have felt the need to go out of his way to reverse-engineer by mobilizing technology for output enhancement.

That the plan had changed now meant.

"After seeing Icarus flying around, you changed your mind?"

"Merely technical interest."

"So there are times when even Ian feels his own thoughts were wrong?"

"Technical interest."

Beep beep.

A hologram appeared, magnifying the Titan's forearm and hand.

"Hidden blade omitted. Pile bunker externalized. Instead, custom claw."

As Eily had said, the claws looked like they'd gotten a nail treatment.

I had never seen such equipment on an Empire Titan.

"Fafnir?"

"Fafnir."

I had seen it on Fafnir.

"After raising the fingertips, ignite the elbow thrusters momentarily."

"To the extent of replicating the pile bunker's firepower?"

"Approximately 80 percent."

Excellent.

Long-range armament hadn't been excluded either; rifles and pistols could be equipped freely.

It was a shame the hidden pistol that had been augmented at the waist was gone.

Instead, the operational range had expanded that much, so it could probably move like a real person.

Reading the hologram now, most of the armor was also slide-deployable.

From the start, it seemed designed to really move like a human, with bullets being dodged or automatically deflected.

"However, there is one trivial problem."

I froze.

There was no way Ian would say there was a problem with the Titan he made.

He was a crazy bastard who would tell me to solve it with my skills even if it was a problem by ordinary pilot standards.

"What is it?"

"I haven't named it yet."

"Ah, that is a problem."

The name was a critical matter.

Originally, Empire Titans used the same name as their artificial intelligence.

In most cases, the AI's name was decided directly by the pilot, taken from the model number, or derived from the Titan's characteristics.

Derived from the name A-12 was Eily, and a bombardment-type Titan loaded with armaments was Heavy Machine, and so on.

Of course, that was the Empire's way.

This was the Southern Liberation Army.

"How does the Allied Army name its Titans?"

Since it was made with the Southern Liberation Army's support, naming it in the Allied style wasn't bad either.

"Examples?"

"What's the name of the Titan Mr. Peres pilots?"

"Southern Allied Army Titan Type-7, Peres Custom."

Oh, come on.

"Impossible, impossible, seriously impossible."

It wasn't as much of a stretch as Eily's, but it was still a somewhat unpleasant name.

"Southern Allied Forces, South Allied Forces, so they take just the first letters and call it SAFE. The one Peres pilots is SAFE Type-7."

SAF, so that's why it's SAFE.

Then would it be NAF for the Northern Allied Forces, EAF for the Eastern, WAF for the Western?

"Wow. The naming sense is worse than Deep's."

Ian's expression scrunched up deeply.

"It's efficient."

"Then what were you going to make this one?"

"According to the initial frame concept, I was going to use a wolf-related name."

That's a relief.

It seemed Ian didn't think too highly of that kind of name either.

By the way, a wolf, huh.

Did it look like a wolf?

Looking now, the claws, the feet shaped like talons, and the facial structure did somewhat resemble a wolf.

"For example?"

"Fenrir. Hrodvitnir. Vanargand. Dire. Lupus."

"Never use Lupus."

Because it would mean betting your life on an operation, or eventually getting the entire team wiped out.

"Fenrir is the most moderate one, isn't it?"

"I agree. Anyway, naming a Titan is usually the pilot's job."

Ian blinked a few times.

He looked like he was dying of exhaustion.

No wonder.

"I'm going to sleep, so input a decent name on the terminal over there. Just as long as it's not something weird like a dog."

"Can't I fix it later?"

"Can you modify a military equipment's serial number however you want?"

"I suppose not?"

"It's the same. You can modify it until it sorties to the battlefield, but once it's been deployed in actual combat even once, you can't change it. It's not absolutely impossible, but difficult to modify."

So it was basically unchangeable.

Ian slowly rose from his seat and walked out.

Now, should I go to the terminal and input Fenrir?

"No!"

Eily dashed over and blocked the way.

She had recovered tremendously in just two weeks.

At this speed, she seemed capable of running at about my sluggish pace.

"You're going to give a pretty thing like that a name like Fenrir? Can't you give it a pretty and cute name?"

"A pretty and cute name?"

A pretty and cute name for that black, sleek, badass Titan?

"For example?"

Eily immediately turned around.

Since Eily was also a pilot, she had the right to decide this Titan's name.

Choosing a moderate name could actually be the wrong thing.

"That. The visor shape! Doesn't it look exactly like a heart?"

"Uh...."

Does it?

"What about Hati? Hati!"

"Hati?"

It was a name that would give Ian a seizure.

"It's not bad, though?"

The fact that it could trigger a fit in Ian.

I couldn't resist this.

At least I hadn't named it like when I named the Titan Core.

Things like Heavy Armor Rice Monkey Thief Bot, or Selfish Bastard Titan Core Go Bust—as long as it wasn't something like that, it was fine.

"Then I'll go input Hati!"

I didn't know anymore.

I was fine with it because it was the name Eily chose.

***

Beep.

"I declare war."

"We shall invade the Southern Allied Forces at 2 PM, two days from now."

The Southern Front's message resounded.