Interlude: Various Reactions
1. Fujita Kazunari
“Junji. Have you heard about that matter?”
“Of course.”
“Who would have thought he’d be on the battlefield as a special duty second lieutenant just over a month after enrollment.”
“I heard he took down multiple medium-sized and even a large one.”
“A large one…? Then he’ll be a second lieutenant upon graduation, no, maybe even a special duty first lieutenant?”
“Well, at least second lieutenant is certain.”
“He’s surpassed us by far more than just a year.”
“Indeed.”
Normally, those who graduate from the military academy are assigned to the army as warrant officers. After a year of practical experience, they are typically promoted to second lieutenant.
Therefore, Keita, who is likely to become a second lieutenant at this point, has essentially skipped the [one year of practical experience] period based on his achievements alone.
It may only be the first year, but we must not forget that there is a huge difference in the missions during that time.
On one hand, there are those who work their way up as warrant officers. On the other, there are those who go to the battlefield as second lieutenants. It goes without saying which path leads to faster advancement.
Of course, it’s a bit different for those who go to the military university after graduation, but the fact remains that the starting lines are different either way.
Even Kazunari thought “What nonsense” when he first heard about Keita’s battle results that led to his promotion. However, although it happened during a test, his achievements have been officially recognized by the Second Division. There were no lies or exaggerations there.
“We shouldn’t feel envious, right?”
“That’s right.”
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Going to the battlefield a month after enrollment, achieving outstanding results, and getting promoted.
Looking at just this, it’s certainly enviable beyond measure.
How was he allowed to go to the battlefield?
What kind of tricks did he use on the battlefield?
It’s understandable that not only the students in Class B but even the upperclassmen are looking at him with jealousy and suspicion. If Kazunari didn’t know Keita’s circumstances, he might have felt similarly.
But it’s different.
He is fundamentally different from Kazunari, who have been trained and wished for battlefield success since birth.
We know that he is a victim of war.
We know that he has no connections or networks.
We know that he enlisted in the military to protect his life with his sister.
We know that the machine assigned to him was a hybrid type, a concept never seen before.
We know that the machine given to him was judged expendable because it was a new model made by a newly entered company, not one of the established conglomerates.
We know that he was sent to the battlefield as a student and given permission to conduct battlefield tests precisely because the upper echelons deemed him expendable personnel.
In other words, we know that he simply went to the battlefield due to the convenience of the higher-ups, fought desperately there, and as a result, achieved meritorious deeds.
Envy that? Impossible.
We shouldn’t face him with such base emotions.
“I’ve decided, Junji.”
“Decided what?”
“To be honest, until now I’ve been interacting with him ambiguously, unable to grasp the right distance.”
“…Same here.”
Normally, people like us would never come face to face with war victims like him.
So it’s understandable that we couldn’t grasp the right distance and ended up with an ambiguous attitude.
I thought that way, but it was just an excuse.
Now that I’ve realized this, I must change, I must be different.
“I’m going to stop seeing him as a victim, once and for all.”
“Kazunari, that’s…”
“No, of course I don’t intend to forget about it. It’s something we should remember as a lesson. But this is different.”
“How so?”
“It might not sit well with those born into military families, but isn’t it wrong to not acknowledge someone who has achieved results just because they’re [not from a military background]? Therefore, we should treat him not as a mere fragile victim, but as a comrade who has earned the right to stand with us on the battlefield.”
“…I see.”
In reality, he’s already above us.
Even so, we’ll catch up to him soon enough.
“For now, let’s ask to see the machine he uses. Of course, we won’t just extract information one-sidedly; I intend to provide some information from our side as well. Naturally, I’ll need your cooperation too, right?”
“No problem.”
And so, the two who had entered the military academy representing the young generation of the Seventh Division faction decided to acknowledge Keita as a fellow classmate and to close the distance they had intentionally maintained until now.
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