In truth, that house was weighing on me.
My intuition was screaming at me: "You have to go!"
But someone would definitely get hurt if we did. I had to find a way to get out of it.
As I sat there with my head in my hands, Master Katori strolled up.
"Hey, you free?"
I was, but I had a bad feeling about this. I tried to make a break for it, but he caught me by the collar.
"You're free. Let's go."
He hauled me off just like that. So cruel!
"The locals have set up some temporary shops over there. Come with me."
There were several stalls operating out of temporary prefab buildings.
"Local citizens are doing business catering to the reconstruction workers."
A man at a yakitori shop spotted Master Katori and called out.
"Oh, Master! Good to see you! Stopping by for a bite today?"
"Yeah, Boss. Two servings."
"Coming right up!"
Master Katori had already blended in perfectly with the locals. What incredible charisma! He was a total monster when it came to communication skills.
"What? Surprised? Running a dojo starts with making friends with the locals."
"I honestly take my hat off to you."
"Master Katori, is this boy your disciple?"
"Yeah. Get a load of this, Boss! This is Major Leo Kamishiro."
"Whoa... The Leo Kamishiro? Why, you're the hero!"
I bowed my head to the shop owner.
"Um... well... I'm sorry for leveling your town..."
"Hehehe. Don't sweat it. It couldn't be helped, right? Sure, we can't even tell where the graves are anymore, but we got our home back because you guys put your lives on the line. You're doing good work. Here, have some tsukune. Eat up."
The owner handed me a skewer.
"Thanks."
"Boss, just grill whatever you've got. This kid's still a teenager, so he eats like an idiot."
"You got it!"
"I'll take a beer, too... and you're having one."
"If I touch a drop, the nanomachine monitoring will flag me, so I'll stick to oolong tea..."
"Bah! I hate the military! I'm so glad I quit!"
Master Katori laughed heartily. Then, his expression suddenly turned serious.
"So, Leo. What’s on your mind? Tell your old man."
"Well... it's about the operation..."
"You mean the talk about a strange building on a nearby planet? Hey, Boss, you heard anything about that?"
"I've heard rumors. The soldiers were grumbling that they didn't want to go."
So much for operational security. That was probably the downside of having so many troops.
"Gahahahaha! Of course they don't! They probably thought, 'I'm going to be part of the legend of Leo Kamishiro!' without realizing that meant walking into a living hell of unknown monsters!"
"That’s why, as a Major, I think burning the place to the ground from orbit would be the safest option."
"But your gut is telling you otherwise, isn't it?"
"In past battles with the Zork, these kinds of relics have held information about the Empire's past sins. There's a high chance this one has clues as well."
Clues about the Fairy... about Imperial Princess Luna. Information on the Republic. There were even the matters involving Maro and the Grand Chamberlain. I might find another lead here.
I knew this was an extermination war, so knowing the enemy's motives wasn't strictly necessary. And even if I found out, there was a chance I wouldn't understand a bit of it, just like with Sariel.
"I see... As a commander, you want to burn it, but as a man, your intuition wants to go. Fine, then. How about I tell you an old man's story?"
"Huh?"
"Just listen. I... I dropped out of the Officer Academy because I lacked pilot aptitude."
"Aptitude... sir?"
Thinking back, that was strange. As long as you didn't have a criminal record, you could usually pass the aptitude test. Had there been some major problem?
"Well, look."
Master Katori removed his contact lenses. His pupils were silver.
"Apparently, I inherited the blood of the genetically modified soldiers of the past. These eyes are special; I can see light rays that normal humans can't. But they were incompatible with the sensors of the humanoid fighters back then. They caused noise. I hear they've fixed that now, though. Regardless, at the time, I was deemed unfit to be a pilot."
"But Master, couldn't you have had surgery?"
"I could have. My eyes were treatable even then. But as a competitor in the Imperial Swordsmanship Tournament... well, these eyes gave me a five percent advantage over normal humans. You understand, don't you? What a five percent edge means when you're among the elite. ...In short, I chose the sword over the cockpit."
"Wasn't that... a positive choice to pursue the sword you loved?"
"No, it was the opposite. I wanted to be a pilot. But I chose the path that was more advantageous for my career because the championship was within my reach. Everyone gave me an out—the eyes of my type of modified human were officially declared unfit for pilots. The Academy didn't even ask for tuition reimbursement, and they even helped me transfer to a physical education school. It wasn't even a dishonorable discharge. Everyone handed me an excuse to take the 'better' path, and I indulged them. I ran away from being a pilot. And I've regretted it ever since."
"You've... regretted it?"
"Yes. Even if a choice is objectively correct, that doesn't mean you'll be satisfied with it. I should have chosen to be a pilot even if it meant losing the championship. Look, I was Piggett's classmate. Every time I see him, the inferiority complex nearly crushes me. I can't help but wonder if I would have been the Captain of the Emperor's Personal Guard if I hadn't made the wrong choice. ...Hey, don't you dare tell him that. I'll kill you if you do."
Hearing Master Katori's confession, the shop owner's eyes grew misty.
"I feel you, Master. Life rarely goes the way we want. Hey, kid. Make sure you live your life so you won't have any regrets either."
The owner brought out some Japanese sake from the back.
"Drink up, Master. This one's on the house."
"Much appreciated! Leo! Stop moping and eat!"
I shoveled food into my mouth, fueled by the standards of an athletic club. Master Katori remained silent after that, perhaps embarrassed to have shared so much of his past.
Oh, I should order some food for the others. I turned to the owner.
"Whoa, Leo-kun. This is like two days' worth of sales."
"I'll pay in advance, so please."
"Got it! It'll take some time to grill, so I'll deliver it later. I'm closing up shop for the day!"
"Thanks!"
"Look at you, being a leader."
"Master, could you help me pick out some alcohol? There are plenty of adults in the squad, so I want to send several bottles of the same thing. I'll pay the extra fees. Since I'm a minor, I don't really know the brands."
"Oh, sure, sure! I'll stop by the liquor store too! Wow, you're a good boss. I'm rooting for you! Master, you should take notes!"
"He's a fine disciple, isn't he? I'll be back, Boss. Leo, let's head out."
"Right."
With that, we headed back to the base. My mind was made up. I had to go.
When we got back, One-oh-one found me immediately. She gave me a sniff.
"You smell delicious, sir!"
"The food is coming later."
"I'm reporting this to Big Sister Ren, sir!"
Prompted by One-oh-one's report, Ren showed up as well.
"Sniff, sniff... This smell... it's yakitori!"
"I ordered some! It'll be here soon!"
"I love you, Husband!"
I didn't want to see this peace shattered. All right, I’ll give it my all!