“Haa… I’m tired.”
“There’s nothing to worry about.”
“Agni~ don’t pretend to be so cool all by yourself~ You were really surprised when you saw the cannon at the end!”
“Well… it was in a level that could make anyone surprised.”
“Right, meow!”
To cut to the chase, the first mission of our ship was a complete success.
At the end, I was worried because more contaminated entities than expected swarmed in, but we cleared them neatly with the main cannon.
Afterward, the 1st Squad agents smashed the core, and it ended with the agents returning to the ship.
Honestly, it was an easy task, so I wasn’t that worried from the start, but since it was our first mission, I couldn’t completely ignore the anxiety.
“So, how is everyone holding up?”
“Everyone’s fine except for Gumi.”
“Gumi’s okay too! Just needs some delicious food later!”
“Then, I should order a special meal for the 1st Squad for Soan.”
“And ice cream too.”
“Got it.”
Even though I said that, the agents of the 1st Squad had some injuries from the battle and were resting in the recovery room, as fatigue had built up.
After all, we were basically the only squad available for deployment.
I had to make sure they recovered properly.
There wouldn’t be another mission immediately, but I couldn’t leave their injuries unattended.
– In 5 minutes, the ship is scheduled to land. All agents and Commander on board, please pay attention to safety…
I couldn’t see the takeoff because I was asleep, but thankfully, I was able to see the landing.
Honestly, the takeoff was probably a more impressive sight, but it wasn’t that different from an airplane anyway.
I could always catch the takeoff next time.
Since we had already dealt with the contamination on the mountain, there was no need to linger around the area.
Plus, staying there could have had adverse effects on ordinary people like the Commander or me.
Unlike the agents, we didn’t receive any good influence from Critienium.
“Then let’s get moving. After we recover enough, we can have dinner together.”
“Yes, because you can’t stay here forever, Commander. Please go in and rest for a bit.”
“Alright.”
The Commander exchanged casual greetings with the agents and left the recovery room.
It was probably to let the agents rest.
Besides, it wouldn’t help anyone for us to just be sitting there.
It would be much better to call in other healers like Mary.
Of course, there were already plenty of healers in the recovery room.
“Commander?”
“What’s up?”
“Since the ship will land soon, shouldn’t we sit down for a moment?”
Normally, we’d just head to the office.
We would do something, but… since we were about to land, we couldn’t be walking around.
It wasn’t like we were super strong agents, and walking around during the landing might cause us to trip.
There was only a bench that could fit about 2 to 3 people to sit on.
After all, this was a hallway in front of the recovery room, and they didn’t need a ton of chairs.
Regular patients could just use the medical room.
“Looking at the sky like this definitely feels different.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I can really feel that I’ve become a Commander guiding my squad members on this ship.”
The Commander said, gazing out the glass window of the hallway.
It wasn’t just the usual view of the sky; it was looking at the sky from the sky.
He was probably feeling emotional about it.
I didn’t really consider him the type to get sentimental.
“I also felt that there’s so much more to learn after today’s operation.”
“You did just fine.”
“That’s not true. What I did today was… honestly, just something anyone could do.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. The agents were strong, the mission was easy, and I just gave them reasonable orders in that situation.”
He continued to gaze into the sky while saying that.
The sky was unremarkable, just clouds, and the sunset gradually painting it red.
I started to understand a bit of the intention behind the Commander’s words.
After all, what Lindera does is honestly similar.
If someone has even a bit of social experience, it’s something anyone could do.
Paperwork, communication, just typing a bit on a keyboard – that’s all there was.
And even the deployment of agents wasn’t particularly difficult.
Perhaps that’s why he felt a bit of… skepticism regarding the compliments and gratitude he received.
Because I felt the same way.
Of course, it didn’t lead me to think that I had to improve like he did, though.
“….”
What should I say?
Suddenly, the atmosphere became like this and I felt awkward.
I was just planning to sit down since we were landing, and then suddenly a consultation of problems started.
Of course, it was more like he was expressing his distress than consulting, but you get the idea.
“You’re fine.”
“What?”
I decided to say something at least.
After all, I didn’t want to see the guy next to me looking so gloomy.
A man should be confident and assertive.
It’s not gender discrimination; it’s just that I’m not into shy, insecure types.
“This is your first mission, isn’t it? You’ll have many more to come, and I’ll be the Vice Commander who always supports you in those tasks. If there are any shortcomings from you, I will fill those gaps and support you.”
It wasn’t the most appealing role, but for Lindera, who didn’t have any abilities like an agent, this was her only path.
Of course, it wouldn’t be difficult to find another job without being a support, but… it wouldn’t provide this level of stability.
That’s why I planned to continue as the Vice Commander here in the future.
“I understand what worries you. You probably think your abilities are lacking compared to the position you’re in. The agents we just met wield flames and shields as big as their bodies. You probably think you only spoke a few words and did some paperwork during this operation.”
I felt the same way.
When you have similar concerns, you can’t help but have similar thoughts.
I don’t know much about his background, but I couldn’t imagine it being vastly different.
“But everyone is inexperienced in their first experience. Do you think someone who has been a Commander for less than a month can compare to someone who’s been an agent for at least six months?”
“Well…”
“No, they can’t.”
“Right. That makes sense.”
“So don’t worry too much. How can you stress about something as trivial as a first mission?”
“……”
The Commander went silent after hearing my words.
When he suddenly closed his mouth, I turned my head to him instead of the window…
“…?”
He was looking at me.
I didn’t know why, but the guy who was just gazing at the sky was now watching me.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome…”
“Surely, the position of Vice Commander is not for nothing. You’re really helping me.”
“Is that so…?”
Honestly, I wasn’t sure.
I wasn’t doing anything that helpful for him in this Vice Commander position.
Just having a title that sounds significant didn’t mean I was actually contributing much.
“Yeah. Thank you.”
Hmm.
It felt strange hearing him thank me while looking directly into my eyes.
Was it because we were locking gazes?
With a handsome guy staring at me, I wasn’t sure how to feel.
His gaze was just unnecessarily serious.
– As landing begins, please remain seated and wait briefly.
“Finally landing. Those 5 minutes… went by slower than I thought.”
“Haha…”
“Lindera.”
“Yes?”
“Just now, when I said thank you, I wasn’t just being polite.”
“……”
Oh no. How do I deal with this gaze?
He looked at me with more genuine gratitude than just a fleeting thanks, and I didn’t know how to react.
So, my only choice was just to smile back at him.
Not a huge grin, just a slight curl of my lips while looking at him.
*
“Haa…”
After finishing all the remaining tasks, I returned to my personal space.
I had dinner with the 1st Squad agents, Midori, and the Commander, and finally returned.
I wasn’t someone accustomed to staying at home, but I was a bit tired from missions lately.
Plus, I was also slightly cramping up… for various reasons.
Anyway, I was planning to relax a little.
Having completed the first mission neatly, I should be able to take it easy for the next few days.
After all, we couldn’t choose our missions; we only undertook those assigned by the Boss.
“Hah… Chaa…!”
Maybe, just maybe, I could deal with the shoulder pain from my cursed chest better, too?
There would be less paperwork than usual, and I wouldn’t have to run around for missions either.
“……”
Anyway, today I planned to rest adequately.
Tomorrow, which is Friday, seemed like a perfect time to relax.
I would spend the night drinking alone and chilling.
Yeah, that didn’t sound bad.
Even so, I couldn’t let my tiredness negatively affect my schedule for tomorrow.
“…Ah, I really want to have a drink today.”
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