Even as an Army Lieutenant, paperwork was beyond me.
Administrative tasks were a nightmare for anyone who hadn't graduated from the University Division. Still, I persevered. I was simply no good at office work.
"Struggling with those documents again?" Uta asked as she approached.
"I’m just not cut out for this..." I groaned. My spirit was already on the verge of snapping.
"It can't be helped, I suppose. Your big sister could give you a hand."
"I knew I could count on you, Uta-sama! It’s my treat!"
"All-you-can-eat yakiniku."
"...Understood."
Uta really could eat. Apparently, she had been a judo athlete during her student days. A significant portion of my salary vanished directly into her stomach.
Once the paperwork was finished, we had a meeting with the Kishin Nation units. The true identity of the pirates remained a mystery. Whenever I met with the Kishinkoku People, they inevitably dragged me to a dojo to test my mettle.
Today’s opponent was a Kishinkoku Marine Lieutenant—a massive, bearded man standing nearly two meters tall. My subordinate soldiers were also present in the dojo, their eyes sparkling with excitement. There was no malice in their gaze; they just wanted to see a good fight.
"Just so you know, I’m pretty weak," I warned.
"Don't give me that. You’re radiating the aura of a master."
There was no way. If I were even half as strong as the legendary Leo Kamishiro, I could have saved so many more people.
I was handed a wooden sword.
"Galactic Empire Swordsmanship, Second Dan. Leo. Here I come!"
I claimed to be a Second Dan, but that was a rank that automatically sprouted the moment you became an officer. Still, it served its purpose as psychological warfare.
"Oho. Katori Style, First Dan."
...This was bad. He was a disciple of Katori-sensei. He likely knew that my Second Dan was just a participation trophy for officers. I had completely misread the room.
I led with a standard downward strike from a mid-level guard. I intended to transition into a winding parry, but he shifted his momentum and slammed into me with a massive body check. He charged with everything he had.
This was exactly why the Katori Style was so frustrating! He lunged at me with the momentum of a professional football player. It was unavoidable. I intentionally leaped into the air to let the force of the tackle slide past me, trying to escape to the side...
"Deryaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Another charge. Letting out a spirited roar, he swung his wooden sword down with raw, brute force. If I tried to block that head-on, my sword would snap like a twig. I intentionally broke my posture to parry the blow, rolling toward his feet to escape—and aimed a strike at his legs as I went.
This wasn't Imperial Swordsmanship. It was the Brawling Style I had cobbled together during my fights with the Zork and pirates. If I could just stop his feet, the match would be over!
My strike connected with his leg, but it felt like hitting a steel pillar. I had been naive to underestimate the sheer sturdiness of the Kishinkoku People. A barrage of downward swings rained down on me.
I scrambled away, rolling over and over across the floor.
"Phew... huff... puff..."
This was impossible. I was completely outclassed in terms of basic physical strength.
"Army Lieutenant Leo... are you actually human? Your movements are like those of a wild beast."
"You’re the one who’s a monster! You just bounced my strike right off your leg!"
We exchanged light banter, acknowledging each other's skill. But when I looked at the Kishinkoku Marine Lieutenant, I noticed his leg was starting to swell up like a balloon.
"U-Um... your leg."
"Oh! Looks like I’ve got a hairline fracture! Hahaha, impressive work!"
He was laughing, but that had to be incredibly painful.
"Hahaha! Sorry, but could someone bring over some medical nanomachines?"
He injected himself with a syringe, initiating a rapid recovery. After a short rest, the swelling would likely subside.
"Man, that was a fine match."
"Please, give me a break next time."
"I won't let you get away with a win that easily. Hahaha!"
It seemed he had taken a liking to me. Once the Kishinkoku People got like this, they were incredibly persistent...
As I was worrying about future rematches, Uta and Great King Saria entered the dojo.
"Ah, I knew you’d be here!" Uta said, prompting a chuckle from the King.
"Oho, this is rare. Did the Lieutenant lose?"
"A complete defeat! Hahaha!" the Marine Lieutenant roared.
"Army Lieutenant Leo, this man is one of the top practitioners even among the Special Forces. Yet, he never neglects his training, even studying the Katori Style. You should be proud of your performance."
"I don't feel like I could ever win a second time, though."
"Honestly, our Captain is such a coward at heart," Uta teased.
"Uta, don't say unnecessary things. You're going to let everyone know I'm weak."
After the banter, we moved on to the main topic.
"So, what brings His Majesty Great King Saria all the way out here?"
"The Corpse Eaters," Uta answered for him.
"What about the Corpse Eaters?" I asked, a cold dread pooling in my stomach.
"They weren't pirates. They were Corpse Eaters."
"What?"
Currently, Corpse Eaters were classified as a First-Class Dangerous Species. Protocol dictated that they were to be eliminated on sight without question. Ordinarily, as soon as they were discovered, the Imperial Army high command would be notified and the Space Raiders would be deployed. In other words, our job should have been over.
"I see... so, we're on vacation then? Uta, where should we go for our time off?"
Come to think of it, there was a movie I wanted to see. I wouldn't mind a trip to the beach, either.
"What are you talking about? We’re participating in the operation too."
"Huh?"
"What, are we backup duty?"
"Nope. Our unit happens to have an ESP user who is overwhelmingly effective against Corpse Eaters."
"Who?"
"Classified."
"Why do you know about it then, Uta?"
"Classified."
"Then why won't anyone tell me?"
"Shut up! Just get ready to go!"
"Ehh..."
I was a Nominal Officer suffering a coup d'état from my own subordinate. It was the very embodiment of the sorrow of middle management. Seeing our exchange, Great King Saria clutched his stomach and doubled over in laughter.
"A-Ahahaha! This is rich! I have high expectations for this team."
"Expectations for what?"
"The operation, of course. We will be participating as well."
"Your Majesty... you don't mean you’re going personally, do you?"
If anything happened to Great King Saria, it would trigger a massive diplomatic incident. I really wanted him to reconsider. No one had ever taught me how to take responsibility for a disaster of that magnitude.
"Oh, I’m going."
"That’s... very problematic."
"I have a responsibility to both the Battle Dome nations and the Kishin Nation, you see."
Give me a break...
"Well, it’ll be fine. Army Lieutenant Leo is here, after all. I’ll see you on the day of the operation."
He slapped me on the back and walked away, his laughter echoing behind him.
"Uta... I feel like singing. You free?"
"I'll go with you, provided we hit the yakiniku place first."
"Which one?"
"I can't tell the difference in quality at those fancy places anyway, so the usual spot. And for karaoke, the place with all-you-can-drink alcohol and the unlimited soft serve ice cream."
"The usual it is!"
"Yessir."
We headed to the usual all-you-can-eat yakiniku restaurant frequented by university students.
"What about the drinks?"
"I'll save that for the karaoke."
Uta seemed focused on food for now, even though I knew she’d end up ordering more at the karaoke box anyway. Well, whatever.
"Wait, the course with the cold noodles is the most expensive one!"
"Prices are going up everywhere these days, aren't they?"
I sighed as ten thousand Credits effectively grew wings and flew away.
"The economy is booming, I guess... Now that the Zork War is over, maybe I should look for a job in the private sector."
"Oh, that sounds like a plan. Want to go get a job at the Kamishiro Group together? You can speak the Latarnia Language, Captain."
"You’re following me!?"
"Well, you’re the one who treats me to yakiniku, Captain."
"So it's just for the food!?"
After enjoying our mindless chatter and stuffing ourselves, we went and sang our hearts out.
A few days later, the day of the Ghoul Subjugation operation finally arrived.