26 On the eve of expedition training

The sarcastic trainee called it a camp.

Indeed, a reasonable point, Yuriya thought, idly twisting her golden three-strand braid.

Placed in the heart of nature, spending a week sleeping and living there. From that alone, undeniably, it was a camp.

Except for the minor detail that this nature in question was uncharted and unexplained.

"Hey, Nastin. Distracted again?"

"Ah. Sorry, Sasamori."

The plan for the expedition training, as briefed.

Overwhelmed by the two-week duration, Yuriya’s focus snapped back to the present at Kou’s voice.

The silver-haired man, his hair cropped short, seemed to have the opposite reaction to the plan.

"Two weeks without combat training? My reflexes’ll go rusty."

"You know, during this period, they say we’ll be sourcing food locally."

May shook her red pigtails as she spoke. Yuriya felt relief—after their earlier conflict, it was good to see them speaking openly again.

"Seriously? Can't even eat it?"

"It's fine. The planet we're going to has already been discovered and surveyed. There aren't any real dangers—almost none at all. And we know exactly what's edible."

"Basically just putting the survey procedures into practice."

"Exactly."

"Wait. If that's the case, isn't it too easy?"

Kou seemed relaxed about it, though there was still much to do.

It wouldn't be that simple.

Still, this man whose brain was made of muscle simply couldn't be satisfied without combat.

"Everyone received the materials?"

Just as the conversation paused, Jin entered the lecture hall.

Without delay, he began announcing the upcoming schedule.

"Regarding the expedition training. This time, descent from orbit and camp setup will be conducted. Accompanying this, training using orbital equipment—the Orbital Package—will commence."

"Combat in planetary orbit?"

"Occasionally. Useful even during asteroid combat. Better to keep it in mind."

Orbital combat certification is frequently used, and obtaining it increases pay—rather pragmatic considerations.

"Review time. What must be noted when donning the Orbital Package? Nastin, trainee."

"The legs are reinforced with additional thrusters to prevent gravitational pull. This causes significant changes in angular momentum."

"Sasamori, trainee."

"The legs are nearly fixed, limiting close combat effectiveness."

"Belwar, trainee."

"High acceleration—attempting rapid maneuvers causes disintegration."

Unexpected, perhaps, but all three provided coherent responses.

Each answered based on what they focus on during their own piloting.

After four months, it finally feels like a normal lecture—no need to rage over minor lapses like drowsiness.

"Keep that in mind during simulator training. After twelve hours of familiarization, begin descent training. Refine your approach until point of descent error is within five hundred meters. Then, mock combat."

Training with the new equipment takes considerable time. Getting accustomed is essential. Approaching later drills in a half-prepared state only wastes time.

The Leopard, equipped with the orbital package, re-created in the virtual space.

Where standard space combat gear or the Astral package configuration measured around twenty meters in length, it now extends nearly thirty meters.

The cause lies in the large thrusters connected to the legs and the tank storing ether for propulsion. The Leopard’s ether reactor cannot supply enough ether for the large thrusters.

Thus, orbital combat with the Assault Frame is time-limited.

Additionally, cooling units have been added around the chest, designed to protect the cockpit during atmospheric reentry.

Armament has been upgraded to a large rifle based on a sniper rifle, as standard ether rifles suffer excessive beam deviation under gravity.

In essence, this is equipment designed to fight against gravity—no consideration was given to countering inertia. Not originally.

Descent training following familiarization drills.

An error margin of five hundred meters is highly precise. A level beyond what is typically expected of trainees. Yet the three managed it, panting and groaning all the way.

The machine control skills honed through drills against Jin proved effective even against gravity as an opponent.

Thus, the simulation began.

The shared understanding among the three, fighting with orbital package equipment, was as follows.

"In other words, the Instructor is also restricted from hand-to-hand combat."

"So that troublesome maneuver is sealed too."

"If it's just shooting, we have the advantage with more cannons."

Upon opening the simulation.

"Whoa, they just charged in straight away!"

"Is it really just spinning around like always?"

"Both of you are terrible at long-range shooting!"

The reactions were immediate.

"Then I'll start the debriefing."

Jin calmly reviewed the simulation, leaving the three utterly drained after such a long time.

"First time fighting with the Orbital Package, so everyone was stiff. Compared to usual, they were holding back—too much at the hips."

"No, um... Instructor? Is it okay? Isn't close combat supposed to be avoided with the Orbital Package?"

"Who said that?"

"I did. The precautions for when the Orbital Package is equipped."

"That's right. We said no close combat maneuvers during emergency spins."

A chorus of groans from the trainees. Jin responded with a scoff through his nose.

"As Sasamori trainee said—precautions, not prohibitions."

That was the gist of it.

All of them carried risk. Without full understanding of the shift in the Astral Package’s characteristics, the danger was extreme—capable of self-destruction.

But if one could master the razor's edge of that threshold,

it would become a formidable weapon in orbital combat.

"In orbital combat, ASID units typically adapt to that environment. They don’t care about our presence—they’ll charge straight in with close-quarters combat. Even if we can’t initiate an attack, we must learn how to counter them."

The words barely finish before the front-line duo ignite with predictable intensity.

"So we can’t initiate? Is that it?"

"Getting angry now! Let’s do it then!"

In the classroom after the lecture ends, the two erupt in determination.

"Shall we do extra simulator training again today?"

"Please. Yuriya."

"Count on me, squad leader."

"Sure, sure. Only when you’re begging or teasing me do we sync up so perfectly."

Muttering, Yuriya secures three vacant simulators. For some time now, they’ve been staying behind every day for training.

She murmurs, remembering how she couldn’t even rise from the bed not so long ago.

The loss of her former softness has become a quiet concern lately. Too much muscle—there’s a limit to how much one can take.

“Wait, didn’t someone slap the Instructor not long ago?”

“Ah. The one who looks just like that little brat.”

“Who’s the little—no, never mind, I didn’t say that.”

“You’re reacting on instinct again… Anyway, what about that person?”

“Apparently, they’re living at the Instructor’s house now.”

The moment she says it, Yuriya stops walking.

The distance between her and the other two grows.

“So it’s true, then. The little brat’s mother?”

“Possibly. Maybe the Instructor’s affair was exposed… Yuriya?”

“Impossible… So that blonde technician—was it an affair… a triangle…?”

The two indulging in careless rumors felt their breath catch at the sight of Yuriya trembling violently.

Again, the illness had begun.

"A daughter clinging to her lover... perhaps the fear of losing her position drove her to forceful action...!"

"Hey, squad leader. Rumors are one thing, but stop hallucinating."

"To be honest, I find you rather unsettling, Yuriya. Especially since it's someone so close."

"But it's impossible not to be curious!"

Curious, yes—but not enough to lose themselves in it. That was their true sentiment.

"Hey, May. Where did you hear that? I really think freshness matters when it comes to information."

"Please calm down. It's just gossip—how would I know the source?"

"No source at all!?"

"Keep it down, squad leader. Look, let's head to training. Make sure you're ready to be beaten by the Instructor tomorrow."

"I'd like to improve my maneuvering a little more, too."

Wait! Don’t leave me behind!

The three moving forward with cheerful chatter, heading toward additional self-training.

Having overcome a shared trial, they are now far closer than they were at the time of squad formation. The fact escapes them entirely.

Especially Kou, who draws envious glances from the other male trainees.

A quiet expedition training awaits.

Before that, however, lies—summer vacation.