"Did they wake up?" Marcus, with two girls, walked over to the brig area where the meeting room is. They were greeted by one of the officers responsible for security.
"Your Highness, they just recovered. The tall guy almost had a panic attack."
"That's Ryo. He was close with several soldiers who were on the Eastern Frontline. He learned of the horrors of Anaheim from the ones who survived there." Ayano explained to Marcus
But this is what confused him. What kind of horrors is she speaking about?
"What kind of horrors are you talking about?"
"I think she is talking about that time you kidnapped Leila?" Anna tried to recall as well.
"Oh… that time I snapped." Marcus stroked his chin. That was ages ago to him. Not only was he a bit embarrassed, but he also shelved that incident to the very edge of his memory.
"Snapped? That is one way of putting it." Anna strained her smile.
The inventor looked at his girlfriend for a second.
"It was a snap. I was pissed off with the war." He shrugged before looking back at the security officer.
"Ayano and I will go in." The Prince said to the soldier before looking at Anna.
"While you wait here, Anna."
"...okay."
"My Prince, are you sure? You don't need support?" The security officer looked concerned for a second.
"Don't worry, everything is under control." With a smile, he walked forward and opened the doors, entering the small meeting room.
"...You!" The tall Japanese guy exclaimed, pointing at the prince.
"Relax, Ryo." Ayano sighed as she got in after Marcus.
"A-Ayano! What the hell!?" The guy exclaimed even more, seeing his friend in a military uniform.
"It was me who asked him to fetch you two." The girl said with a sigh. She was feeling weird being on the other side.
"...You are with Anaheim?" Yukiya asked. He realised that after seeing her uniform.
"Indeed. I recruited her. She is now part of the military with a great salary, 25 days of holidays, health insurance and guaranteed land in space colonies once she retires." Marcus explained like a salesman.
"I-I do!?" The girl looked surprised.
"Sweetheart, you didn't read the contract?" The Prince looked surprised.
"I don't know? Anna gave me something to sign." She was confused.
Marcus looked at the mirror wall.
"Darling, at least explain the benefits of joining our esteemed nation." He deadpanned.
"Sorry, I didn't know we had such benefits! We can go on holiday soon then!" Anna replied from the other side.
"Let's first conquer the world before we go anywhere." The Prince replied with an eyeroll. Rest when all the big jobs are out of the way.
"Anyway. Working for my Anaheim is a great chance. Because once things settle down and we stop recruiting, you are going to regret your choice," he said with a serious tone.
"...Can we return to Japan?" Yukiya asked.
"That is if you want." He slowly nodded.
"You can move into Japan and be part of the garrison there. Though at the moment most of the garrison are at the frontlines." Marcud explained to the pair.
"So we will be part of the war effort anyway." Yukiya had that mocking-ish smile.
"You will be on the other side of the conflict," Marcus replied.
"...You mean the ones who traumatise?" Ryo said with an annoyed look.
"We don't do that here. Unless you encounter a KK-unit or a Gundam." The Prince pointed out.
"...Your precious creations."
"Indeed, soon the war will end."
Just from mentioning that, they recalled speaking with Gene Smilas.
"I offer this because Ayano wanted to rescue you guys. By all means, I can send you to Japan as it is, and you can work with logistics if you want a job."
The pair looked at the girl standing next to him.
'Is he for real? It was only a couple of hours at most. How quickly he attached himself to her?' Yukiya was confused. He is wondering if this guy is this weak against females. But that's strange, as he is a dangerous, warmongering guy, just like his father.
He could not put those together.
"...No. I shall join the military." The brown-haired teen replied.
"...Yukiya…are you serious?" Ryo asked with confusion all over his face.
"Think of this, Ryo. They are offering land, a good salary and other perks. I doubt there is anywhere else like this."
"There is none. Our resources literally come from space. There is nowhere else like this." Marcus bragged to the pair.
"See? If you can't beat the enemy, then join him." Yukiya was pragmatic, a bit crazy, since he didn't mind blowing himself to save his friends, but he was pragmatic enough in the end.
That is why joining Anaheim sounds good for him.
"...Fine… I suppose… I accept."
And so the trio joined the Anaheim.
Just like that, Marcus had almost all of Wzero.
The only thing he needs is the research team, which Gene Smilas will deliver to him.
~~~
With the trio in Anaheim, the Centauri-Class Support Warship began its journey to Constantinople, where Marcus started his development work.
It became one of the most impressive sights in the world, where capsules carrying resources would land from space almost on a daily basis.
This is what normal people saw in the might of Anaheim's construction capabilities.
While Britannians and their mobile workers are impressive, they have nothing on a faction that is becoming proficient in space development.
Legion Bots are only getting more efficient thanks to AI modules programmed to self-learn in the construction sector.
By the time Marcus arrived back in Constantinople, around four days had passed since his conquest of the city and the whole area.
The cleaning work is in full swing as there is an enormous Anaheim presence in the whole city, from his 'iconic' black tactical gear soldiers, to variants of Legion bots, to Setanta units stationed in old St Michael's Order Barracks.
It's quite something that the order of Michael decided to headquarter itself in the Dolmabahçe Palace.
The 19th-century Royal Palace was built by the Ottomans. It would seem that in this timeline, the Turks did conquer the Byzantine Empire, but at the very least, the Britannians got the city back.
Who can't say no to the 'romance' that comes from holding Roman Capitals?
Marcus was one of those, as he was already thinking about how he was going to fix the city in his image, from building a spaceport for his warships to dock to laying down new roads to using ancient methods to copy Roman monuments.
All of that!
"Whoa… I always wanted to see Constantinople!" Anna gushed as she looked at the city on the horizon. There are skyscrapers on the Asian side of the city and north of the ancient part of the city. But the central part? It's full of old buildings.
"I am more concerned about that…" Ayano was a bit concerned about the number of warships in the air above the city.
They were gigantic shadow-casting vessels.
"Oh? That. The armies are gathering here before they are going to push downwards towards Egypt." Anna leisurely explained the gathered troops.
"...But the amount of troops… the numbers…"
'How quickly they developed such huge numbers!'
Ayano recalled how, from thin air, this faction appeared.
"Marcus is a master in mass production, and Leila is amazing at logistics." Anna smiled as she praised her boyfriend and best friend.
"...I see…" Ayano nodded as she looked at Marcus, who was having an Anaheim meeting with several high-ranking people.
The Prince is briefing them on Gene Smilas and the shattering of the EU they plan to carry out soon.
"So you just had a meeting with a general of the EU IN PARIS?" Cornelia massaged her forehead as she could not believe how reckless he was!
"I was there with Tiranis, so there are no worries."
"My Prince, even so, you should be more careful. Just because you are there with your Machine, it can't defend you all the time." Tohdoh commented with crossed arms.
"I will." Marcus sighed, even his sensei is commenting on this! Hell, he was there because Anna wanted to see her city, once more.
"Lulu! You went to Paris, and you didn't take me with you!?" Euphemia puffed her cheeks.
"Euphemia! You should not encourage him anymore!" Cornelia blasted her little sister.
"Now back to business." The Princess showed the world map.
"We have two fronts, on how we will sweep into Africa. We already have a foothold in Madagascar. They capitulated the moment they saw our warships enter the atmosphere above their capital.
I have to admit the fear tactics of using massive warships entering the atmosphere pay off. It's half a fight just from showing off." Cornelia praised the warships, even though she had originally been on the fence about them because of their sheer size and the resources they would require.
"Morale is always important in combat. The Carriers bring fear factor." Xinke said with a small nod.
"Xinke is right. The simple display that we dominate the skies and even space makes people realise that they simply have no means to resist us." Tohdoh nodded as his fellow General.
"That was the whole point. My KK-Units are the same in this regard." Marcus smiled, then looked at his older sister.
"I shall assist in taking North Africa while pushing from Anatolia and taking Egypt. Ground forces can enter through Suez and take Sinai." The Prince highlighted his invasion force.
"Once we have Egypt, we can spread out through the whole area.
When you take the eastern part of the African continent, move south, secure South Africa, then return towards Congo.
We are going to surround that tropical place before taking it over in a fell swoop. Tropics are always a pain to deal with, considering the river is useless, and the delta is not reachable with the ships. We are going to use warships as support when crossing with mobile suits." Marcus explained to them.
"And then you are going to use the place to build the space elevator?" Cornelia asked after listening to his invasion plan.
"Indeed. Once this one is completed, I will focus on the one I plan to build in Solomon Islands."
"Father will lose his mind seeing what kind of things you are building around the world." The 2nd Princess smiled sadistically.
"I am even considering delaying the invasion just to make him experience what it means to fall into irrelevance." Marcus joined her in smiling.
"...Can we not put family dynamics in world conquest?" Xinke sighed while asking them.
Euphemia nerviously laughed as she realised that her two siblings were doing this on purpose.
"That reminds me. Euphemia, I need you in Constantinople. I want your management skills." Just like that, Marcus shifted the theme of conversation as he looked at Pinkette on the screen.
"Okay! I will take Brigid and arrive there in a couple of hours!" The Princess gushed with excitement to see new stuff with her Lulu, no less!
"Euphemia…" Cornelia looked embarrassed how easily Marcus could make her little sister scramble and drop everything just to see him.
"No worries, sister! I have already set everything in motion in Japan. I can easily leave to check other regions."
"Indeed. I AM KEEPING Greece and Anatolia for myself." The Prince highlighted that he is keeping these old lands for himself.
"Oh, the weather there is great! We should build a summer estate there!" Euphemia agreed without hesitation.
"My thoughts exactly."
After a bit more bantering, the meeting was over. The invasion of Africa is set to happen in a few days.
In the meantime, the armies move into positions.
As this was happening, Marcus left the warship and took the transporter plane to the airport in Constantinople. What he didn't expect was Leila waiting for him with crossed arms and a frown on her face.
Behind her was her mobile suit as she arrived here with her Andraste.
From the looks of it, she was a bit pissed.
'I guess I stayed too long with Anna.' Marcus thought to himself as he looked at Anna next to her. The pinkette looked a bit nervous.
~~~
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