Miss Witch Doesn't Want to Become a Songstress-Chapter 206

"Can you tell us again how Thilan defeated the two major factions?"

In a top-floor restaurant in Lebion, the group sat around the table, their eyes eagerly fixed on Phyllis. Meanwhile, the subject of their discussion—our lovely, black-haired, black-dressed girl—was quietly cutting into her well-done steak with a knife and fork.

"Well... Thilan was incredibly brave at the time. She charged into the midst of the mech encirclement with just a sword, dodging a storm of bullets in a dazzling display, and then deftly sliced through the weak points of the mechs, disabling them one by one. Finally, a special mech appeared..." Phyllis recounted the scene with vivid detail, though he seemed to be struggling to remember everything accurately.

"But I heard from people in the city that a huge full moon appeared in the sky, and there seemed to be a figure within it."

"Ahem, is that so? They must have been mistaken. At the time, Black Hammer also deployed a secret weapon that dealt a blow to Burning Iron’s mechs. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, so they had no choice but to accept our ceasefire proposal," Phyllis did his best to cover up the truth.

"Oh, right, Valk was there too. You can back me up on this, right?" Phyllis finally found someone to share the burden of explaining.

"Valk, is what Phyllis said true? It sounds a bit far-fetched, almost like it doesn’t match what everyone else is saying," Ruby turned to ask the steady Valk.

"Unless you were there yourself, people often only see one or two sides of the story, which can easily lead to misunderstandings. It’s not unusual," Valk’s deep, calm voice lent credibility to Phyllis’s story, and the group finally seemed to believe it.

"Alright, let’s not dwell on that. I really want to try out the mechs from both sides. You know, these big guys aren’t something you can just get your hands on normally. Having them right in front of us and not trying them out would be torture," Jinzerk rubbed his hands together, eager to give it a go.

Coming from a family involved in the hovercar industry, he had a special fondness for large war machines. Unfortunately, mechs were usually military property, and even the police didn’t have access to them. Even someone like Jinzerk, a wealthy heir, rarely got the chance to interact with them, having to make do with civilian-modified versions.

"Will they even agree? These things are controlled items in the Federation. If it weren’t for the fact that this is an unregulated zone, taking them out would definitely lead to restrictions and penalties," Alen stroked his chin, analyzing the situation.

"If President Thilan proposes it, they’ll definitely agree," the others started to chime in.

"Oh, right, we can have Thilan ask. It shouldn’t be a problem."

As they spoke, the group’s hopeful gazes turned to the black-haired girl who had been quietly eating. Though she was focused on her meal, she seemed to be deep in thought. When the chatter died down, she finally looked up.

"Why are you all looking at me? Fine, I’ll ask for you later."

"Yay!" The club members cheered, especially the boys, who were particularly excited.

Is piloting a mech really that thrilling?

Thilan tilted her head slightly, not quite understanding the excitement.

In the afternoon, the group arrived at Burning Iron Energy’s headquarters.

Passing under the massive gantry crane, they entered the bustling factory area, where cargo containers shuttled back and forth, and newly manufactured components were being transported out.

"Looks pretty good, at least it’s not chaotic," Jinzerk commented, feeling satisfied.

"Did you notify them we were coming?" Simu asked curiously.

"Yes, I did," Phyllis nodded, then picked up his personal terminal to contact their hosts.

Soon, a crimson mech darted between the high-rise buildings and then leaped down from above, its massive shadow nearly blotting out the sky.

The crimson mech lowered its angular chest armor and came to a slow stop in front of the group. Only then could they properly take in the details.

Compared to a human, the mech was enormous, standing nearly six stories tall. The large hydraulic actuators in its legs moved with precision, allowing it to navigate ruins and urban areas with ease, giving off a sense of disciplined training.

"The mechs we currently have are based on military models from hundreds of years ago. Both Black Hammer and Burning Iron are branches of the mainstream mech development from that era," the accompanying staff explained, then went on to describe the various classifications and origins of mechs.

As they listened, the group took turns climbing into the cockpit of the towering mech, experiencing firsthand how these once-cutting-edge weapons operated.

While her companions were engrossed and fascinated, Thilan remained quietly on the sidelines, only nodding in response when someone asked her a question.

"Thilan, have you ever thought about piloting a mech?" Dolores finally asked her, curious.

"Me?"

She looked up at the giant mech in front of her, then shook her head.

"I don’t think so. Piloting a mech is actually a vast field of study, and I probably don’t have the time to delve into it."

"Ah, is that what you’re thinking? I thought you just didn’t find it fun or interesting," Dolores mused, watching as the slightly inexperienced pilot on the square maneuvered the massive mech, performing routine rescue tasks.

Although the girl claimed she probably couldn’t handle it, others felt that with her talent, she would likely be a rare prodigy even in mech piloting. But since she never stepped into the cockpit, no one could know her true skill and potential.

...

As time passed, the group gradually settled into life in Lebion, and their travel vehicle was finally completed.

"Miss Thilan, please inspect the vehicle," Brod and the technicians from Black Hammer Heavy Industries led the group to the testing site, where two identical black trucks stood. Their heavy black steel exteriors and roaring engines exuded raw power.

"With armor this thick, it could almost be used as a tank," someone remarked after inspecting the exterior.

"Of course, we can’t cut corners when it comes to safety," the technicians replied.

They had been given a mission, and there was no way they could skimp on quality. After all, the black-haired girl standing nearby was the future...

With that in mind, they had raised their standards and taken pride in their work.

"Please watch carefully," Brod waved his hand, and a dozen people stepped forward, armed with automatic rifles. They opened fire on the black steel trucks, the bullets raining down like water. However, the shells only left white marks on the steel, with no further effect.

"Now, this," Brod clapped his hands again, and the riflemen stepped back.

Ten testers armed with rocket launchers stepped forward, crouching down and taking aim at the two trucks in the center of the testing site. They fired their rockets.

The long, smoky trails streaked across the sky and struck the two trucks, flipping them onto their sides but failing to damage the interior.

"Are these trucks really not armored vehicles?"

The group was stunned by the exaggerated level of protection. It was no wonder these vehicles were built on the same production lines as mechs. Their durability and power were almost on par with mechs.