So, I was stuck at the base.
Even if we headed back to the dorms, the members of my squad were all academy students aside from me, meaning they were still treated as Privates. Once they graduated, they'd be Sergeants; if they entered the university course, they’d be treated as Master Sergeants.
As for me, the military treated me as either an academy student—a Private—or a Captain, depending on which rank was more convenient for them at the moment. My salary was that of a Captain, but when the meal duty rotation came around, I was strictly a Private.
The issue was that Privates weren't allowed to handle security missions for the Imperial Family. At best, we’d be relegated to directing traffic alongside the police, far away from the actual venue. It wouldn't be until the guys from the academy became Second Lieutenants that they could officially serve as my Wifey’s guards at formal events.
Consequently, we remained on standby at the student dormitory. Our participation in the fight against the Zork was also on hiatus, thanks to public sentiment crying, "Don't let the kids fight!"
...Charging into the napalm flames during the battle with the Grand Chamberlain probably hadn't helped matters. Even now, we had nothing to do.
The Base Commander clearly didn't know what to do with us. It was the same for Thomas's squad. Honestly, expecting the commander of a training facility to handle a crisis like this was the height of absurdity. He was just a guy who managed training schedules and logistics. This was way out of his league.
And so, I spent the day dedicated to cleaning the facility. Yesterday, I’d been on the laundry squad. If I didn't take the initiative to find work, I’d become a complete in-house NEET, so I was trying my best to stay busy.
I hit the spots the drones had missed with an industrial vacuum cleaner, then finished up with a mop. We did this for every single building—me and the rest of the boys in my squad. Everyone seemed to be suffering from a mysterious ailment where their hands started shaking if they weren't working.
Man... I wished I had that iron will to stay calm even without work, like Prince Thomas's squad. Then again, maybe they were just elites. Or maybe we were just workaholics.
"Captain, the toilet and shower room cleaning is finished!" the toilet cleaning squad reported.
"The bathroom and bathhouse are all done~" the girls chimed in as they arrived.
"Floor cleaning is done over here, too," I said, and with that, our duties for the day were complete.
Since we couldn't exactly focus on studying for exams, anyone who wanted to could train. Naturally, no one refused. It wasn't like it was grueling; we were basically just messing around at the training facility.
"Ready... and!"
I saw Kevin and the others playing volleyball. I started with a run. Once I was warmed up, I grabbed some concrete blocks for knuckle push-ups, using the blocks to get more depth. When I was satisfied with that, I moved on to finger push-ups. I was finally starting to realize just how important these basics were.
After finishing, I did some squats while cooling down, then headed over to the bars for pull-ups. It was a bit strange—despite my desire to stop being such a muscle-brain, my muscle-brain level just kept rising.
Once I was done, I joined the other boys for soccer. We really were just playing at this point.
To be fair, there was an indoor gym, but Prince Thomas's squad was using it. They were the Imperial Guard, after all. Technically, we were the Personal Guard for a different member of the Imperial Family, but while I didn't think it would start a fight, I hated the idea of them feeling like they had to walk on eggshells. I doubted my brother-in-law would care, but still.
So, we played on the outdoor grounds out of consideration. Even if Thomas's squad decided to come out, I figured this ground was big enough for everyone to share.
After working up a good sweat, I showered and ate dinner.
"I’m an in-house NEET..." I muttered while eating my curry.
I needed to work!
"That’s just life in the military," Melissa said bluntly. "Ninety percent of war is just moving and waiting around."
"But still, getting a Captain's salary to do laundry and cleaning..." To be honest, a military salary was enough to support a family and cover tuition at an academy in the Imperial Capital. Getting paid that much to do this made me feel guilty toward the taxpayers.
"Who cares?" Melissa asked. "You've been putting your life on the line until now. Right, Ren?"
"Indeed. Lord Husband should rest a little," Ren agreed.
"Besides, our reputation is great. The soldiers on the base even bring us snacks." Melissa pointed toward a container. It was the snack box. The soldiers here had been giving us treats because they saw how hard we were working. To prevent any arguments, we treated the gifts as communal property. I had the feeling the soldiers here were starting to look at us like parents.
"Anyway, did you hear? They’ve installed infrared sensors in the forest. Anything out there will be found immediately." Melissa looked relieved, her expression softening.
"That’s good to hear." We’d find them soon. Yeah, that was a relief. The curry was good.
Ren whispered, "I hope that wasn't a flag..."
Don't say that.
Once dinner was over, there was no more work. Everyone else was playing games with the Fairy. I was planning to join them after I submitted my report...
Riiiiiing! Riiiiiing!
"What the hell!?"
I braced myself as the alarm suddenly blared. Everyone shifted into a combat stance instantly—Melissa even had her katana in hand. But then, an announcement came over the intercom.
"False alarm. Repeating, false alarm due to equipment malfunction..."
"Scared the crap out of me!"
"Give me a break, seriously."
"Hahaha!"
Everyone had been on edge, but their faces quickly relaxed. However, in the very next moment, it happened.
There was a dull thump, followed almost immediately by the crash of shattering glass.
"Huh?"
"Was that a gas explosion?"
Looking out the window, I saw soldiers rushing toward the main building. Another announcement followed.
"Fire detected, fire detected. Base personnel to your stations... all others remain on standby..."
"Isn't the main building where Prince Thomas's squad is?"
"I'm going to check it out!"
I assumed it would be fine since it was the most secure area, but I couldn't just sit there. When I ran outside, the rest of the squad followed. This was a fire, right? It was really just a fire?
Despite it supposedly being a fire, everyone was carrying personal shields, axes, and shields. I had my sword, Melissa had her katana, and Ren was even lugging a shotgun. Since we hadn't had time to gear up in our space-use combat suits, my napalm tactics were out of the question.
...Wait, I said it's a fire! Why am I thinking about burning things even more!?
I was so caught up in my usual idiocy that I hadn't noticed. I hadn't realized that my schedule hadn't aligned with Claire's lately, even though we were supposed to be together. I hadn't realized that while I was coasting along on menial chores, Claire had been working herself to the bone in the background.
...It wasn't a death flag.