Chapter 30

### Prologue

Ah, summer vacation was a tough opponent.

Yeah, it really was.

After all, after participating in a minor skirmish, I was told, "I want you to focus on growth and optimization," and thus I was exempted from exams and training without any formalities.

What a dilemma.

That's not all. Because of my good exam results, I was officially promoted to Second Lieutenant and was even asked to take on the role of a Special Duty First Lieutenant.

Making a student an official Second Lieutenant or a Special Duty First Lieutenant is a big deal, but the military decided to pile on even more pressure.

"Who would have thought I'd get a bonus, huh?"

And not just a regular bonus. No, after becoming a Second Lieutenant for barely a month, getting 2 million yen is more than a full bonus. I almost died from the sheer generosity.

Of course, my younger sister said, "Is that not a lot?" She doesn't understand the difficulty of earning money yet.

It might be understandable that she's still in middle school, but being too carefree is also a problem. I'll have to teach her properly later.

In any case, I was able to confirm important matters, and it was a very fruitful summer vacation.

And so, that fulfilling summer vacation came to an end.

"What the heck are you doing?!"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

When I returned to school for the first time in a while to attend classes, I was suddenly confronted by Itoh-san.

She's unusually angry, but I don't know what I did. Honestly, I really didn't do anything. No, seriously.

"Why don't you realize it? Put your hand on your chest and reflect on your behavior during the summer vacation!"

"Reflect on my behavior during the summer vacation, huh?"

I trained, hunted in Kyushu, monitored the growth of my mech while training, trained some more, and after coming back, I helped my sister with her homework. That's about it.

Compared to other students, I might have trained less, but in my case, I had practical training. Taking more breaks is normal.

Well, I did get some time off for that reason, so I do feel a bit guilty, but that's up to the individual, right?

If I slack off in training and die in battle, it's my own responsibility... Ah, no, we're supposed to become commanders, so it's not just about one life. Yeah, that's right. No wonder Itoh-san is angry. Alright, I'll apologize.

"Honestly, I'm sorry."

I'm the type of person who can apologize when I think I'm in the wrong.

"...You definitely don't get it, do you?"

"What are you saying?"

What can I say to a man who only wishes for the peace of the Kawanami family?

Still, I can tell that there's some kind of misunderstanding. I just don't know what it is.

"Shoko, you know, I didn't do anything wrong, so I don't think your words are fair."

At this point, it seems that Itoh-san and I were having a misunderstanding. A third party appeared to mediate!

"Tanaka... I know, but..."

Usually, Muto would step in, but this time it's different. Apparently, her family is a staff family, and she was busy summarizing the lessons from the battles that occurred during the summer vacation.

So, the one who stepped in this time was Tanaka Nanako, who entered the school as the 6th-ranked student.

She's not the type who gives off a bad vibe, but after talking to her, it seems she's popular with men but disliked by women. She has a rather cunning feel to her.

I don't really care about that, but I thought she might not get along well with Itoh-san, who has a straightforward personality.

But apparently, that's not the case.

It turns out that the 8th Division, to which her family belongs, and the 6th Division, to which Itoh-san belongs, have a good relationship. Moreover, both divisions were sending personnel to assist the 2nd Division, which strengthened their ties.

As for me, I don't really understand the factional relationships. I don't even know if I should get closer or stay away. According to others, I'm supposed to belong to the 2nd Division, but I don't really feel that way. I don't even know if the 2nd Division is backing me up.

After all, I haven't been directly told, "You belong to the 2nd Division."

It's just that I'm unprepared when it comes to power dynamics, and I don't know how to maintain the right distance. If I get too close, I might be told, "Don't act like you're part of the 2nd Division," and if I get too friendly with other divisions, I might be accused of betrayal.

So, I've started to think that a vague distance is fine while I'm in school.

Plus, if something happens, I'm sure Masahiro will let me know. I'm trying to be pragmatic about it.

As for my position...

Tanaka may seem soft and fluffy, but she's not just a typical rich girl.

Her attitude and gaze toward men are calculated (source: Itoh-san), and her seemingly absent-minded demeanor is also calculated (source: Itoh-san). If you want to see the real her, you should look at her simulator. She exhibits behavior that a typical absent-minded rich girl couldn't (source: Itoh-san).

Especially in handling the naginata, which all samurai daughters are supposed to learn, she excels to the point where even Itoh-san and Muto can't match her.

I didn't know that naginata was a required subject for samurai daughters, but it makes sense. It's surprising that a soft and fluffy girl like Tanaka is good at it, but it's also understandable if you consider that she's a rich girl.

Regardless of who she is, as long as she doesn't interfere with me, it's fine. I've been dealing with her like that so far, but today, she seems to be trying to provoke me.

She's a student, and at this stage, it's rare to have a First Lieutenant and a Special Duty First Lieutenant on the battlefield. She's probably interested in me as a soldier, not as a romantic interest.

That's why she stepped into the conversation between Itoh-san and me, which I would usually ignore.

But just because I understand that doesn't mean I'll go along with it.

In any field, if you don't assert yourself when necessary, you'll just be swept away by the situation. And the end result of being swept away is usually regret.

So, I take action. Even if it leads to failure, I won't blame others for it.

You think I've given up on understanding the factions? No, that's a different story.

"So, I think this is the way to go."

"…I see. That does make sense."

While I was thinking about this, it seems that Itoh-san and Tanaka had already finished their conversation.

I don't know what conclusion they reached, but as long as I'm involved, my approval is absolutely necessary. And I'm on high alert, so I won't easily agree with their opinions.

—There was a time when I thought like that.

"You. Today's after-school training will be a simulation battle with me. Of course, it will be in the simulator, okay?"

"Huh?"

What? I don't mind training in the simulator, but a battle? Does it have that function?

I've always been training alone against monsters, while Itoh-san and others were having friendly battles?

What a cruel and unjust world.

This is it, yu... ru... "What? Are you unhappy? Of course, I'll pay you. How about 100,000 yen per battle?" ...!

"O-Of course not."

100,000 yen per battle? There's no way I wouldn't do it.

Being swept away? Regret? What are you talking about? That sounds delicious.

"Okay? Then see you after school."

"Sure."

"Ah, can I join too? Of course, I'll pay the same amount."

"Eh? Ah, sure."

Sure? I can get paid for training? I won't give it back.

"...I'm looking forward to after school."

Hya-ha! I don't know how many battles we'll have, but I'll get at least 200,000 yen!

It's a wonderful era when you can get paid just for training!

---

"...Itoh-san, I never thought I could have a simulation battle with him for just 100,000 yen."

"Hmph. You asked me, 'Are you paying him for information? Then can we have a simulation battle too?' How can you say that?"

"Well, well, but now everyone wants to have a simulation battle with him, right? But it can't be free. We can't just say, 'We'll pay you for a simulation battle.' I think only Itoh-san can say it without sounding rude and get him to agree."

"Well, that's true."

In fact, if anyone else said the same thing, Keita would feel insulted and coldly refuse, cutting off all contact with the person who suggested it.

He may seem easy to buy with money, but he's actually quite picky. Keita is.

Tanaka understood this and had Itoh say the same thing. When she saw Itoh's success, she smoothly joined in and achieved her own goal.

This alone shows that Tanaka is not just a soft and fluffy rich girl.

Itoh, on the other hand, doesn't think it's cunning. She even believes that she wouldn't form a bond with someone who isn't as shrewd.

"In any case, we'll definitely get valuable combat data. ...Will you share it?"

"Of course."

A simulation battle with an ace who can take down 10 large enemies alone in less than 10 minutes. What reason could there be not to share the combat data?

"Hehehe."

"Aha-ha."

((Scary!))

(Ah? Did I get outsmarted?)

On that day, the girls, thinking about the value of the information they would obtain after school, displayed a smile that was so intimidating that even the boys were taken aback. It seems they had already grasped the value of money.

If you could have a simulation battle with a red-haired, naturally talented person, wouldn't you pay 100,000 yen?

That's what it means.

Thank you for reading.