06 The Troublemaker Trio

"Then, I'd like to hear your two opinions."

The next day. Evening, following another day full of disruptions, the lecture concluded.

Jin summoned the remaining two troublemakers—Sergeant and Jake—to the training academy’s mess hall and began without preamble.

"Negative, Lieutenant. I'm quite busy as it is."

Sergeant pouted.

With humanoid attacks having subsided, he was currently sorting through machines due for overhaul—there wasn’t much free time.

Still, he came willingly when summoned by Jin.

"Besides, I'm still on duty, you know."

"Whatever. You were just lounging around at your shop anyway."

"That’s different! No customers come, so it’s fine!"

"Still, how valid is that, Jake?"

Jake, who claimed his shop had no customers, was already on his last legs, met with a surprisingly sharp rebuttal.

"Mio's busy at school too!"

Mio raises her hand, pleading to be included.

"Hey, now that we're here, is it really okay to bring her along?"

"I already got proper clearance. Don't worry about it."

In short, Mio's presence here is a complete overlap of personal and official matters.

Jin used his status as family to forcibly secure her entry, just so he could feed Jake.

"Ah, school, huh. Made any friends?"

"Um, Hasegawa-chan, Carmine-chan... and Kobun, three of them!"

"Subordinates...?"

The sergeant still seemed uneasy about that detail.

Jin shudders—three of them, not just the second, but the third too.

Wants to say she's some kind of queen, but holds back.

"Anyway, the assigned training squad's full of troublemakers... I need your help with this."

Jin thinks Yuriya's still manageable.

No significant issues had arisen in the past few days.

May would be caught in the aftermath of Yuriya's delay.

The issue lies with May and Kou.

May's lifestyle appears to be the issue itself.

Is he living by instinct alone? The impact was so great that one could believe it after only two or three days.

Jin's case is straightforward.

There is no use for a weak instructor. Every gesture confirms it.

"Frankly, where should I begin?"

"Father always says to tidy up the room first, doesn't he?"

Ah, tidying up is important.

Jake nodded with a serious expression at Mio’s words, which he did not fully understand.

The corners of her cheeks tremble as if holding back a smile.

Is Mio cleaning up?

...Not doing it much.

When the sergeant asked, Mio looked away and said that.

"Order and organization are important. You panic when you can't find what you need in an emergency."

"You're the one saying that?"

"Did I say something, Lieutenant?"

They exchange smiles laced with venom.

Jin's insistence on order and organization was undoubtedly influenced by the Sergeant.

Not by emulating her, but by the opposite.

She was a cautionary example.

"Whether a troublemaker is problematic depends on the direction, don't you think?"

Jake redirected the drifting conversation.

"What do you mean?"

"Whether you're being taken lightly or not. You know, the combat instructor came by."

"You mean that time in the simulator—when we were thoroughly dismantled."

"...Well, we weren't exactly obedient after that, but..."

Whether it was to reinforce hierarchy.

Or to ensure they weren't underestimated, as Jake suggested.

At least, in this case, it proved effective against Kou.

The issue is whether or not it can be won.

"Even so, that was right after joining. You didn't know right from left then. You're a second-year now."

"What're you talking about? The convoy's record holder. If you're serious, rookies like that would be easy."

"I don't know... maybe..."

Recalling the three sets of data.

The corporal he'd once served under, thoroughly tuned the Raven.

If he'd been piloting that, he wouldn't have thought for a moment he'd lose, even against three opponents.

But what if it were old models, used for training, facing off against one another?

He'd likely lose once or twice in a hundred fights.

Saying that out loud earned him a flat, unimpressed look.

"Are you boasting by pretending to belittle yourself?"

"Or is that a roundabout compliment, Lieutenant?"

"I didn't mean it that way at all..."

Jin had meant to convey the utmost difficulty, yet clearly, his interpretation was off.

A ninety-nine percent win rate is not, in itself, a measure of the opponent’s skill.

“Incidentally, how did you think you’d fare against me during my active service?”

“Hmm. One hundred out of one hundred, I guess.”

“Seriously? So I’d lose to those trainees?”

Jin nods. The possibility is high.

His expression shows clear shock.

“Dad. Jake’s weak?”

“Pretty standard, really.”

“Yeah, standard. I couldn’t keep up with your adjustments.”

“Thanks for the encouragement. And Sharon. Your adjustments are the ones that’re off.”

Yes. Standard.

And that was precisely why ordinary humans couldn’t survive such a battlefield… why he’d lost a leg.

Jake’s current right leg is a prosthetic fabricated by a sergeant.

Regenerative therapy isn’t infallible. Occasionally, certain individuals simply don’t adapt.

There are pilots with prosthetic limbs. Yet Jake seemed unable to fully overcome the discomfort.

His right leg’s response had weakened. He decided to withdraw from the front lines before losing his life.

“Well, let’s give it a try… Special training.”

In any case, training using the simulator is scheduled for tomorrow.

The original plan had been docking and undocking exercises from the orbital vessel, but a simulated combat drill could be integrated.

He noticed, with mild surprise, that he was beginning to look forward to it.

“Daddy, you seem happy.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. You’re smiling.”

Jin placed a hand on his cheek, as Mio pointed it out.

He wondered if he really was, but couldn’t tell himself.

“Is it just the lifestyle habits that matter?”

“Yeah. That one can only be guided directly. Still, probably nothing compared to what you’re dealing with.”

“Did you say something, Lieutenant?”

It's settled. You're not still leaving underwear scattered in your room, are you?

Recalling the garbage-strewn house from that time.

The cleaning of the sergeant’s room, forced upon Jake and Mio—something they would not soon forget.

"What are you talking about all of a sudden, Lieutenant!"

It's true, isn't it? Hey, Jake.

"Yeah. That’s reverse harassment."

Honestly, nothing but discomfort remained.

Can you say something about the sexual harassment I'm currently receiving?

I'm curious whether it's improved at all.

Same to the right.

"Old man, you really were friends, weren't you?"

Oops—Jin silences his mouth.

He had momentarily forgotten Mio was there and ended up speaking in the manner of a student, as he once did.

"Is that alright, Mio? You should tidy your room properly. Otherwise, you'll end up like me."

Hmm… I don’t really get it, but I do.

"Alright then, you two. What'll it be today? Sharon, you might as well eat too."

Jake spoke, shifting the atmosphere.

The words brought to mind a hunger he hadn’t acknowledged before.

"Actually, I heard rumors. The training academy’s cafeteria’s been getting better."

The rumor had even reached the maintenance crew, quietly.

"Rations—cube food—aren’t exactly tasty..."

"Ah, maybe that’s unavoidable right now. Production’s still skewed."

"Still, signs of easing are emerging. What’s your take on that?"

Jin shrugged, answering Jake’s unspoken question with his eyes.

"An instructor doesn’t get access to that kind of information."

"An instructor doesn’t destroy ten enemy units single-handedly. Why are you still leading the kill count from the last engagement? You’ve retired."

"Besides, this time it's the outdated Leopard model... I mean, Lieutenant! I just remembered—didn't you use the B setting?! You said it was useless! You said so yourself!"

"I thought it was a setup."

Honestly, when I used it back then, I didn’t expect to return.

I wouldn’t have been able to now.

And... I’d have likely been shot down.

Next time I face that Black Knight, I probably wouldn’t win.

I was certain I couldn’t do it like this.

"Hey, Sharon."

"Mostly, Lieutenant... yipe!"

The sergeant suddenly yelps at the unexpected, nostalgic address.

"Wrong, sergeant. I just thought of something—can you help me assess whether this might be possible this time?"

"Please don’t give me heart palpitations. A sudden idea...? Not another gamble that’ll shorten the unit’s lifespan again?"

"Disappointing that I can’t deny it."

Regardless, to counter the Black Knight, the defense must be breached—only achievable through that reactor output.

He had no intention of sparing effort for that.

"Lieutenant, you’re always making maintenance crews cry. A little more care for the unit… wouldn’t hurt."

"Care too much, and you die. Let me handle that."

Watching the two engage in their back-and-forth, Mio murmured, a faint sadness in her voice.

"Shouldn’t you get along…?"