Chapter 5

I headed to the recruitment center of the space military with those steps.

Space military recruitment centers are found everywhere in this country.

They are always located in prominent places in towns to supply the military, which is constantly short of personnel.

I passed through the gates of the nearest recruitment center.

Volunteering for the military is very simple.

The amazing thing about this country is that personal information is properly managed.

Thanks to this, all you need to do is show your card and provide your ID number, and no other procedures are required to join the military.

I gave my ID number and expressed my intention to volunteer, and the receptionist operated the terminal.

The moment she operated the terminal, she hurriedly left her seat and went to her superior.

It seemed there was a problem with my background.

Just as I was about to give up, thinking I wouldn't be able to join the military, she returned and handed me a document.

"Make sure you don't miss the special flight leaving from the spaceport tomorrow.

You will be heading to the capital," she said.

This was a sudden announcement.

However, it seemed I would be able to join the military after all.

I returned to the orphanage and told the teachers that I had failed the university entrance exam and that I would be joining the military.

I also informed them that I would be leaving the next day and said my goodbyes.

I probably wouldn't be coming back here.

Since this would be the last time I saw the teachers who had taken care of me, I thanked them politely before entering my room.

The teachers seemed to already know that I had failed the university entrance exam.

They didn't say anything about my joining the military; they just watched over me.

Honestly, I was grateful for their treatment.

At this point, any words would only make me sad.

I was spared the embarrassment of showing my pitiful state here.

Otherwise, I would have burst into tears again.

However, I couldn't understand why others seemed to know the results of the university entrance exams before I did.

Early the next morning, I headed to the spaceport with my meager belongings as instructed the day before.

Despite the early hour, the spaceport was quite busy.

There were several young men and women who seemed to be of my age, along with a large number of people who appeared to be their relatives.

It seemed that the young men and women of my age were boarding the same ship, and their relatives had come to see them off.

I thought it was a bit much, and what I couldn't understand was why all the young men and women of my age were so well-dressed.

They clearly didn't volunteer for the military like I did.

What did this mean?

Were they just going to the capital for some other purpose?

Could they be heading to a university in the capital?

If so, it would be a bit awkward to be traveling with them, given that I had failed the university entrance exam and had to volunteer for the military.

No matter how you looked at it, I would seem pitiful.

Well, it's not like we would meet again, so I decided to endure the trip to the capital as if they were just air.

While I was thinking this, the spaceport staff made an announcement.

It seemed that permission to board had been granted.

I went to the staff with the document I had received the day before.

There were about ten young men and women of my age around the gate, and from the number of people gathered, it felt like a small group. It seemed that these ten would be traveling to the capital with me.

They all held similar documents and were showing them to the staff at the gate and following their instructions.

I followed the instructions and headed to the designated location with the others.

There, I saw a small passenger spacecraft, which was probably classified as a high-speed boat in this country.

Voices could be heard from the crowd.

"Wow, this is luxurious."

"Amazing. I didn't expect to be treated so well. It feels like we're being treated as elites."

Indeed, Naoh's impression of the spacecraft was similar.

I couldn't help but look at the document in my hand again, but it was blank.

The only thing I had was the seat assignment given at the gate.

A voice came from behind me, and a man who seemed to be about my age spoke.

"Hey, what are you doing? We're running late, so let's hurry up and board."

He pulled me onto the spacecraft.

Although we had just met, he was a nice guy.

Once on board, I showed the seat assignment I had received to the staff and was guided to my seat.

After I was seated and prepared, the spacecraft departed from the spaceport without much delay.

It seemed we were quite late, as the man who had spoken to me earlier had mentioned.

However, I couldn't understand why such a luxurious spacecraft was being used just to transport a single volunteer to the capital.

As I was thinking this, a voice came from beside me.

It was the man who had spoken to me earlier.

"It seems we really were running late.

If we had been delayed here, the instructors would have had a lot to say from the start."

I just listened to him blankly.

"Ah, sorry.

I'm Mark, Mark Cassel.

Nice to meet you.

And you are?"

"Ah, sorry.

I'm Naoh, Naoh Bruce."

"Huh?

Bruce, as in the grandson of Admiral Bruce?"

Admiral Bruce was a famous hero on the planet where I grew up.

After a distinguished military career, he served as the first chief of the Coast Guard and later devoted himself to welfare in his later years.

He was one of the few heroes who died a happy death in this era of turmoil.

Therefore, he was the most popular hero on Nihonium, his birthplace.

"No, no.

I'm from an orphanage that was created by Admiral Bruce's charity.

Those who don't know their last names are allowed to use the orphanage's name.

But, you said Cassel, right?

Are you related to Cassel Industries?"

Cassel Industries is a well-known major arms manufacturer in this country.

It's a large company, though not quite a conglomerate.

"Cassel Industries' president is my uncle."

"Wow!

You come from a good family.

Why are you...?"

I couldn't help but voice my thoughts.

It was inconceivable that the heir of a famous large company in this kingdom would volunteer as a regular soldier.

The possibility that he was going to a different university had completely left my mind, and I blurted it out.

"Why? Because I managed to get into the Elite Officer Training School.

Maybe I was just lucky.

My grades were quite strict, but I managed to get in, so I'm really glad."

It seemed that Mark was not going to be a regular soldier but to the Elite Officer Training School.

He was joining the ranks of the elite.

"Wow.

But..."

"I understand.

You're probably thinking that a merchant's son like me would aim to be an officer rather than a soldier.

I was just lucky.

Or rather, because I had luck, I managed to get a foot in the door of the elite."

Again, it was about luck...

"Sorry.

I'm just an orphan, and I shouldn't be so familiar with someone of your class."

"What are you talking about?

The moment we boarded this ship, we became comrades, didn't we?"

"Huh?

Comrades... I did volunteer for the military, but comrades? You're going to be an officer, right?"

"Huh?

Naoh, you're going to be an officer too.

Naoh, you're funny."

What? What?

What do you mean?

I did volunteer for the military, but as a regular soldier.

I didn't apply to the Elite Officer Training School.

What's going on?

There were too many things I couldn't understand.

Since Mark seemed more knowledgeable about such matters, I decided to ask him, despite the impoliteness.