Unexpected reunion
The next day, I looked around the dock and then went to the spaceport with Maki-nee-chan.
This is a private company, so there are no official vehicles or anything like that.
I could have borrowed one of their cars, but that would have caused problems on the way back.
After all, I had to bring back thirty new recruits, so a passenger car would just get in the way.
For that reason, we took the train, which is a public transportation option, to get to the spaceport.
Even though it’s on the outskirts, this is one of the major industrial areas on this planet.
The station is within walking distance, so Maki-nee-chan and I walked to the station.
On the way, we passed by the neighborhood where the orphanage we grew up in was located, and I was reminded of that unpleasant incident.
I should have been long gone by now, but my subordinates just keep increasing.
Well, now that I’m here, I guess I’ll do what I usually do.
I’ll stay behind on the ship and make a final charge.
In the end, I’ll sit in the captain’s chair and murmur something like “My hometown, how nostalgic”
just like the scene I read so many times in that fantasy novel that made me cry.
I’ll do the same.
I’ll try a little harder.
I recalled a scene from the fantasy novel I read voraciously during my officer training days, and I was able to forget the unpleasant memory that had surfaced earlier.
“Nao-kun, this is nostalgic, isn’t it?”
“Huh?”
“This is the station closest to the orphanage. I’ve visited it a few times since leaving the orphanage.”
“Well, I’ve been pretty busy, and it just felt difficult to go back.”
“I see. I’ve only been there once myself. I can’t really say anything about your situation, Nao-kun.”
As the train arrived at the station, a group of university students got on the same car.
It’s a little late for commuting, but that’s probably normal for university students.
“How nostalgic. I went to university on this planet, so I know that around this time of year, there’s a short break, and the students often go on little trips organized by their clubs or classes to welcome the new students and foster camaraderie. Did you know about that, Nao-kun?”
“No, I didn’t. I was at the officer training academy in the capital planet, Diamond, so I hardly ever left the campus, except for space training missions.”
“Really? Was it just you?”
“Well, I guess I was the only one. But the others didn’t have much free time either. After all, they have to train us to be officers in just three years, so there was hardly any free time.”
As Maki-nee-chan and I were indulging in a bit of nostalgia, one of the university students approached us.
“Wait, is that you, Maki-nee?” she said. “It’s me, Tetsurine! You haven’t forgotten me, right?”
The woman who spoke to us was none other than Tecchan.
Honestly, at that moment, I didn’t know what to do. I had never panicked even when dealing with pirates, but this time, I was in a state of panic and quickly distanced myself from Maki-nee-chan.
Maki-nee-chan didn’t seem to notice my change in behavior and started chatting with Tetsurine.
“Oh, Tecchan, it’s been a while. I think the last time I visited the orphanage was when I joined the Coast Guard.”
The two women continued their conversation.
Of course, I didn’t join in and kept a bit of distance, so Tecchan didn’t realize that I was with Maki-nee-chan.
It seems my attitude made the high-ranking Coast Guard official who came on this business trip think I was being considerate.
From an outside perspective, it may have looked that way, but I wasn’t being considerate at all – I just didn’t want to meet ger ever again, not just now. Even so, the two talked without realizing my feelings until we reached the spaceport station.
Fortunately, Tecchan didn’t notice me until the very end and went back to her university friends she was with before.
Admittedly, our current attire would make it obvious – Sis Maki was in a suit, with that professional aura of a working adult.
However, I had joined the military and left the orphanage, so I was dressed as an important Coast Guard official.
After all, I was wearing full formal dress with miniature medals and a smart-looking peaked cap befitting an acting captain.
From any angle, I would only appear as an important Coast Guard person.
Still, the fact that she didn’t recognize me at all was a bit vexing, making me feel a little dejected thinking that was the extent of our relationship.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
When the train arrived at the spaceport station, we disembarked.
This station served people going to the spaceport’s maintenance facilities, so naturally those university students took it further to the general passenger terminal.
Perhaps for that reason, not many people got off here.
I walked alongside Sis Maki,
when suddenly, for some reason,
she brought up old times and asked me at the end:
“Nao, I thought you would have pursued a business career for sure. Why did you aspire to become a soldier?”
“Huh? Did Tecchan say something to you just now?”
“No, nothing. Come to think of it, you two were close back then. Why didn’t you talk to her?”
I gathered my courage and spoke honestly.
“It’s true that I tried to enter the business world by going to university, but I failed miserably. Then Tecchan seemed to have disliked me and rejected me. So I got frustrated and applied to the military, and that’s how I ended up here.”
“Wait, so how did you end up on the elite officer track with that kind of background? Normally, you’d have to go through a lot of hardship to get into that school, right?”
Fortunately, my explanation seemed to make her more curious about how I ended up on the elite track, rather than the fact that I had been rejected.
“I’m not sure either, but according to Mark – you know, the son of that big shot from the Caswell Shipyard who introduced me to this dock – my grades were somehow recorded in the national computer system, so that’s probably why.”
“That’s nothing special. My grades are recorded in the national system too, you know.”
“Oh, I forgot to mention, I actually had a recommendation to the Career Bureaucrat Training Department at the First Royal University when I graduated. But, well, you know how that place is… So I aimed for Keilin University instead, but I failed. And after being rejected, I just applied to the military, and suddenly I was brought here.”
“I see. That explains your grades then. Nao, your personality is the complete opposite of that choice, so I’ve always wondered why. It’s truly a twist of fate for you.”
“I don’t know if it’s good luck or bad luck, but I’m definitely aware that I’ve strayed far from the ordinary path. Ah, we’re here. So what now, Maki? Are you coming with me to greet them?”
“I’ll pass on that. You’re going to see the commander, right? That’s not my business. I’ll go greet the seniors first and gather some information, then we can meet up when it’s time to receive the new recruits.”
“Alright, got it. Then I’ll see you later.”
After parting ways with Maki, I met with the Fleet Commander.
Although we had made an appointment beforehand, I was made to wait for a long time and received a rather cold reception.
I had already expected not to be welcomed, but the blatantness of it all was quite surprising.
Maybe it was out of jealousy, as Maki had hinted at before.
But somehow, it felt different.
Regardless, this place is enemy territory.
I shouldn’t expect any cooperation, only obstacles.
We’ll be all right if we think that way from the start.
After my meeting with the Fleet Commander, I also went to greet the Squadron Commander of the Patrol Fleet, but it was even worse here.
Well, they probably had some kind of penalty for that past operation, but it wasn’t my fault.
Yet, this was a very obvious case of resentment.
Even though all the participants in that operation were penalized, it seemed like we were the only ones who got rewarded.
And on top of that, the reward was extraordinary. No wonder they were jealous.
But really, for adults to act this way is quite unacceptable.
Finally, when I visited the Director of the Nihonium Branch Office, the reception was a complete 180 – a warm welcome that belied the previous interactions.
I was utterly confused by the inconsistent treatment.
As I was enjoying tea with the Director, I received a call that the new recruits had arrived at the airport. So I left the Director’s office and headed to the arrival gate.
There was a dedicated military arrival lounge, so it wasn’t too crowded.
I was instructed to wait in a meeting room adjacent to the arrival area.
Soon, the personnel in charge of the trainee program from headquarters arrived, escorting the 30 second trainee.
Maki came in with them,
seemingly acquainted with the person in charge of the schooling personnel at the headquarters staff.
As Maki instructed, I completed the handover process and took the recruits with me.
Fortunately, Maki had arranged for a military bus with a driver,
so we could all ride back together.
I hadn’t paid much attention, but the issue was with the trainees’ terminals used for remote learning. While each person had their own, there was a problem with connecting to the network.
On a military ship, there’s no problem accessing the wireless network anywhere. But since we were renting a civilian facility, easily connecting to their network was not an option.
Although the president or our crew could probably manage it, that would definitely cause problems.
This is where the capable administrative staff came in handy.
Maki had taken care of the arrangements properly.
She had borrowed an encrypted server from headquarters that could use the general-purpose internet lines without issues.
We had to carry it this time.
It wasn’t a large device, but as it was classified, having me carry it would have caused more problems, so the bus ride back was a relief.
We lined up like ducklings and boarded the bus in the Coast Guard’s designated parking area, heading back to the dock.
The distance from the spaceport to the dock was not that significant.
The spaceport was located on the outskirts of the town, adjacent to an industrial park
where our rented dock was situated. By car, it’s only about 20 minutes.
The train ride there just took longer, which led to all the hassle.
But despite that, I was quite tired.
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
BUY THE SOURCE MATERIAL TO SUPPORT THE AUTHOR !!!
Kindly click on the green button above and contribute to filling the green bar if you’re interested in having another LN from the request page translated. Also, every donation is being used to purchase the source material and to fund more English translations.
Please consider joining my Ko-Fi membership. By becoming a member, you’ll also gain access to 2-10 additional chapters of all of the novels from this site translated into English. Last but not least your support will also assist me in upholding the translation quality and speed. For more information, please follow the link.
Donation for faster release is always welcome
Additionally, I am now accepting translation requests.
30 second lieutenants -> 30 second-classmen
Thanks.
fixed, thanks