George Allster's expression wasn't looking too good at the moment. Reid had made it abundantly clear—the New Misurugi Republic wasn't open to bargaining. What's more, PLANT was already aware of his most troublesome identity. The fact that he was still standing here negotiating meant PLANT wasn't looking to exploit the situation—for now.
With that, the most crucial leverage he could have used against Reid was gone. The relatives on his mother's side—the only ones on Earth who could be considered family—had all died before the full-scale war, leaving behind only a few distant aunts whom Reid probably didn't even fully recognize.
As for his father's side? Forget about it. The relatives in the Eurasian Federation were beyond the Atlantic Federation's reach, and in his 24 years of life, Reid had never once set foot in the Eurasian Federation. He likely didn't know a single person there.
Then there were friends and comrades. Reid's original squad had been wiped out, and the commander of Artemis Fortress—who had illegally reassigned his squad—was probably one of the people Reid hated most. As for friends? Most had perished in the war, leaving no exploitable personal connections whatsoever.
So now, faced with a Reid who had zero vulnerabilities to exploit, George Allster was feeling the pressure. The real kicker was Reid's claim that Princess Angelise was likely holding a similar list and negotiating with PLANT.
Three hundred billion in supplies was honestly a fair price. The New Misurugi Republic wasn't even demanding all of it in cash—they'd explicitly stated that gold and silver could be used to cover any shortfall.
As for the raw materials, most were basic minerals like iron, copper, carbon, aluminum, and tin, along with some non-sensitive chemical agents. These were all readily available in space, and the New Misurugi Republic could gather them slowly if needed.
As for food? Truth be told, the New Misurugi Republic wasn't asking for much. Rumors had it they had a secret procurement channel on Earth—seemed like that was true.
If this price was already reasonable, and his attempt to haggle ended up pushing the New Misurugi Republic toward PLANT, he'd undoubtedly face repercussions upon his return. His political rivals would ensure he never recovered.
At this realization, George Allster suddenly felt like an idiot. He was just an employee—it wasn't his money on the line. Why was he trying to negotiate further when the terms were already within the nation's acceptable range? The marginal benefits of squeezing out a slightly better deal couldn't possibly outweigh the risks to his entire career.
Having reached this epiphany, George Allster was now even more eager than Reid to close the deal. He stood up and grabbed Reid's hand firmly.
"Deal! But Mr. Reid, you'll need to take us to retrieve the data first."
Reid hadn't expected George Allster to come around so quickly. The Earth Alliance really does have money to spare—I lowballed it.
But even knowing he'd undersold, Reid played along, grinning widely before responding.
"Fine. But the visiting delegation won't leave until at least half of the first payment—in funds and minerals—is delivered to us. I know the lunar base has plenty of basic supplies stockpiled. Don't worry, I'll make sure you all get a proper tour in the meantime. Oh, and you'll also need to help me sort out my discharge from the Eurasian Federation's space forces."
Reid's request was perfectly reasonable, and George Allster naturally agreed without hesitation. Even if the Eurasian Federation Space Forces insisted on forcibly retaining Reid's military status, neither the Atlantic Federation nor the East Asian Republic would consent. After all, labeling him as a deserter wouldn't threaten Reid—it would only shift his pro-Earth Alliance stance to a pro-PLANT one.
Coincidentally, George Allster mentioned that he needed time to poach Reid for the Atlantic Federation, so staying a few more days wasn't an issue, and the discharge process was a minor matter.
That very afternoon, Reid took three "experience officers" selected by the Earth Alliance tour group after three rounds of "group fights" to the training grounds.
These officers each carried a small bag, which Reid guessed contained CE-era black tech—3.5-inch "floppy disks" with infinite storage capacity.
The data-copying process went smoothly. Reid let them fiddle with the mobile suit's systems as they pleased. Once this was over, the unit would undoubtedly be dismantled and rebuilt from scratch by the Factory Module anyway. There was no risk of them planting viruses in his machine.
Afterward, Reid even prepared a thick A4-sized operation and maintenance manual—heavy enough to bludgeon someone to death. It explicitly highlighted two points: operating this mobile suit required extensive practice, and transformation maneuvers were particularly difficult. This was to prevent the Earth Alliance from accusing him of tricking them.
The Earth Alliance delegation was quite satisfied with Reid's "after-sales service." That night, the lights in the officers' quarters never went out.
As for Reid, he spent the evening alone at the port, seeing off Patrick Zala, who had completed his mission, along with the ship full of prisoners he had captured.
The disarmed Laurasia-class battleship and two GINN units from PLANT were left unclaimed—likely serving as ransom for the captives.
Originally, Patrick hadn't wanted to exchange a single word with Reid. The two were destined to remain enemies, and their current cooperation was merely a temporary compromise.
But just as Patrick was about to board the shuttle, Reid suddenly spoke up.
"Chairman Patrick, I know you'd love to skin the Earth Alliance alive—and me, for that matter. But I'll say this anyway: choose your targets wisely when seeking revenge. Your enemies are Blue Cosmos and the Atlantic Federation, not all Naturals."
"Also, Earth is the cradle of all humanity—and by 'humanity,' I include Coordinators. With current technology, losing Earth would mean the end of any future for mankind. I hope you remember that."
Patrick froze mid-step at Reid's words, then turned to glare at him with murderous intent.
Just as Reid braced for another brawl, however, Patrick cooled down on his own and said coldly, "I don't need your reminders. I know exactly who my enemies are. Kid, I'll admit—your name now deserves a place in my notebook. We'll settle our accounts slowly. You can look forward to it."
With that, Patrick boarded the shuttle without another glance and departed the Star Palace Colony Satellite.
Of the four Nazca-class ships waiting outside, only one left to escort Patrick back to PLANT. The other three remained as "actors" promised by Siegel, staying until the Earth Alliance delegation had departed.
The next day, after confirming Patrick's return, Siegel announced to the world that PLANT recognized the New Misurugi Republic as an independent sovereign state. He proactively extended goodwill and stated PLANT's willingness to engage in technical exchanges regarding Mobile Suits with the New Misurugi Republic.
PLANT's statement carried significant weight, instantly putting the New Misurugi Republic in the spotlight. However, the Earth Alliance reacted swiftly this time. After confirming with the Star Palace delegation that no overt cooperation had been established between the New Misurugi Republic and PLANT—and that PLANT's actions were merely pressuring for a response—the three major nations of the Earth Alliance announced their recognition of the New Misurugi Republic's existing sovereignty two days after PLANT's declaration. They expressed hopes for technological exchanges in Mobile Suit production and provided substantial free material aid.
Of course, the former territories of the Misurugi Republic in Europe were only nominally returned to the New Misurugi Republic. The Eurasian Federation made no move to withdraw its personnel from those areas, while the New Misurugi Republic conveniently "forgot" about the land, maintaining an unspoken understanding between both sides.
Finally, the Earth Alliance had one more "surprise" for Reid.
The Earth Alliance Forces heavily publicized Reid as the legendary pilot who survived the self-destruction operation at Junius Seven. After being rescued by Princess Angelise of the New Misurugi Republic, he chose to stay and repay his debt of gratitude. Even during his recovery from injuries, he spearheaded the development of the first Mobile Suit operable by Naturals—the Union Flag.
As a result, the Eurasian Federation promoted Reid Isaac three ranks at once, allowing him to retire with the rank of Captain. All subsequent benefits would be calculated at the Captain's pay grade.
(End of Chapter)