I was Mobuko.
I recently became a Count and picked up some strange new attributes, but I was still just Mobuko.
My primary job was adjusting sensors and cameras at Kevin’s place. When I had some downtime, I helped out with Kevin’s work as a medic. Leave the disposable script creation and injections to me! Ta-da!
Just yesterday, my Degree Certificate for the University Division arrived. I didn't even remember enrolling. Apparently, I had been enrolled in whichever faculty corresponded to the qualifications I had obtained on board the ship.
Actually, wait—we were only second-year students and hadn't even turned eighteen yet, had we? It was probably the same deal as when those graduation diplomas for the officer academy were sent out a while back. Apparently, it wasn't a formal graduation yet; that whole situation was such an extreme special case that it was causing nothing but constant disputes.
Word was they wanted to let us graduate soon so they could put us to work as Counts at full capacity. Could I just run away? I heard the graduate students were even handed Doctorates without so much as an interview. One graduate student I was close with screamed, “I’m only in the Master's Course, so why?!”
Those graduate students were already working remotely as Bureaucrats for various ministries under the pretext of being military dispatches. Even though they were military personnel, they were also working as Bureaucrats. “I’m going to die!” they shouted in a rage.
They were supposedly planning a joint Graduation Ceremony in March. It didn't make any sense. Meanwhile, students at the Imperial Capital High Schools and universities weren't graduating; instead, they had to do an entire extra year of remedial classes. They were real ogres. Normal people were terrifying.
Oh, right—speaking of career paths, my fiancé was about to be decided. If I didn't like the candidate, I’d just say to Veronica-chan, “Could I have someone a bit more like Leo-kun, please?” and she would change it.
“M-Lord Groom...? That is difficult. W-well, it cannot be helped then. Ehehehe.”
She was such a pushover. She loved Leo-kun way too much.
Since the boys didn't complain as long as a girl had big breasts and was close in age, their matches were being settled rapidly. However, the girls were being far too picky, so many remained unattached. Since my family were just Imperial Capital Baronets who didn't own land, I only put in one request: “Distinguished families are a bit much for me.”
My mother was a commoner, so she didn't get along with my grandmother... As I thought, someone of the same rank was best.
“What are you prattling on about? You all are scheduled to become Duke-types in the future,” Veronica-chan said.
Stop it, Veronica-chan. No way. I didn't even know what I was supposed to do as a Count.
Besides that, I just hoped for someone who wasn't like Isono-kun. It wasn't his face or anything; it was something far more fatal. Um, it wasn't that I hated cheerful boys, but... Isono-kun was just impossible.
My favorite pastime was observing Leo-kun. He had a nice face, didn't he? In fact, back before the Zork attack when he stayed quiet, he had plenty of secret fans. He was kind in his own way and good at taking care of others.
Now? Well, ever since he revealed those appalling sexual fetishes, his fan base had actually increased. He cherished Veronica-chan, too. But he was someone with whom a romance would absolutely never be realized.
The factions were divided: those supporting Veronica-chan, Claire-chan, Melissa-chan, Ren-chan... and Kevin.
Wait, Kevin? ...It would actually be the most interesting if they got together. (Whisper)
Also, the Association for Doting on One-oh-one and Tatiana had started doting on Shar-chan as well. Among the boys, Eddie-kun’s popularity was also skyrocketing. There even seemed to be a faction trying to ship him with Leo-kun. (Grin)
And Nakajima-kun had finally been forgiven by the girls.
I observed Leo-kun to kill time. He was often in the Dining Hall. We were too. It had become something of a hangout for the officer academy students. We mostly did our paperwork there.
In Leo-kun's case, he had an office for Senior Officers, but he preferred to bring in his terminal and work on documents here. Everyone was at least a captain, and Leo-kun was even a Major. If we didn't help each other, the paperwork would never end.
“Isonooo! Hurry up and hand over the security plan for the next Soccer Goodwill Match!”
“Nakajima! It’s not finished yet!!! More importantly, I'm telling you to hurry up and make the layout for the exhibition tents!”
“The coordination is still a mess! You, Karate Club! Hurry up and submit your timetable!!!”
“We’re waiting on the Sumo Club and the Pro-wrestling Research Club!”
“Claire!!! What’s going on?!”
“Didn't the Battle Dome start broadcasting pro-wrestling the other day? Because of that, inquiries from the Ogre God Nation asking us to teach them have been flooding in!!! Just wait a little longer!”
“Wait... which means the Sumo Club...”
“That goes for us too! Or rather, inquiries asking us to introduce them to a Grand Sumo Stable have been flooding in, and we can’t handle anything else because of that processing!!!”
Eddie-kun was also troubled. That was rare.
“I've been asked to hold a seminar on Imperial Swordsmanship as well. I could ask Katori-sensei... but, well... there's the issue of holding back...”
“What about Leo?”
“He's an instructor, but his style is too irregular. It's better not to send him out. More importantly, there should be a graduate student who is a 4th Dan. I'm thinking of asking them to do it under the guise of being Katori-sensei's assistant.”
Swordsmanship concerned us too, so I was glad Eddie-kun was in charge of it. The other clubs were having a rough time. The boys were in a total state of conflict.
“What about the Soccer Club!?”
“They’re practicing with the team from the Ogre God Nation today too. It can’t be helped! They became too popular!”
The Soccer Club members were exempt from the tournament's paperwork, but they were having a hard time in their own way. They were giving instructions every day, training separately from the military, and had their own mountain of documents. Apparently, every one of them was going to obtain a Certified Referee Qualification. The Soccer Club had been forcibly assigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs while remaining military personnel. It looked like a total death march—diplomacy through sports with the faces of the walking dead.
“Isono! What are we going to do about the Baseball Club!?”
“Permission to set up the ballfield was granted! Apparently, they’re going to play a match against the University Division seniors and an Amateur Baseball Club. Piggett-san is participating too.”
“Hey, stop that! People will die!”
“He's motivated, so we can't turn him down anymore~.”
“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
It was hell. I would probably run away too if Major Piggett was participating.
Since I was also one of the medic captains, I had to make shift schedules and supply request forms... I felt like I was going to die. I was also a captain of the drone unit under Kevin, the Integration Captain, so I had double the paperwork... I might actually die.
But I couldn't complain. The one taking the lead and working while crying was Leo-kun. I definitely wanted to pair him with Kevin.
“Eh? The Brass Band Parade? Understood, I'll file the application.”
Oh, right. I belonged to the Brass Band Club. I had hoped I could join the military band, but that was probably impossible now. I had been promoted too much.
“Hey, hey, Kevin. It’s about the Brass Band Parade. You were in the Brass Band Club, weren't you?”
“It's impossible now. My gender has changed. And I haven't been practicing.”
“It's fine, just do it. I want to see it. Kevin's performance.”
This casual remark came from Leo-kun. Kevin hesitated for a moment.
“If Leo says so... I suppose it can't be helped.”
Yes, I should definitely pair her with Leo-kun. I renewed my resolve.