༺ The Military State’s Mornings ༻

Though five minutes was definitely a short time, even these fleeting moments were governed by economic logic. For someone in a hurry, five minutes could be as precious as gold, while for those with plenty of time, giving away five minutes was no loss whatsoever.

For me, right now, five minutes was no different from a fortune.

Because I was asleep.

brrR, Click.

The alarm turned off before it even had a chance to ring. I didn’t know which angel did it, but with this, I gained a precious five minutes. After all, the five minutes before waking up in the morning was irreplaceable.

“Get up at once…….Third attempt. It is determined that further repetitions will be meaningless. Transitioning to the next phase.”

Something tapped my shoulder, but such a modest, gentle touch couldn’t possibly disturb my deep sleep. I was going to protect these precious five minutes from the wicked aggressor.

I replied, pulling the blanket up.

“Awoong, just five more minutes.”

“…Third attempt. It is determined that further repetitions will be meaningless. Transitioning to the next phase.”

Huh? Wait. What came next again?

Wait a minute. No. No way.

“UrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRR!”

“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAK!”

A scream louder than any normal alarm rang in my ears. I rolled out of my comfy bed, threw the blanket far away, and quickly got up.

“Again? This pattern again?! Yet you didn’t even wake up to my URRRR yesterday!”

It’s so unfair. Why only me? I wanted to wake you up like this too, but why weren’t you affected?!

I couldn’t hold back my frustration and shouted.

“Didn’t I tell you to wake me up by tapping my shoulder? What’s all this commotion so early in the morning!”

The Captain, already dressed in uniform, spoke calmly.

“I already made attempts.”

“Attempts my ass! There’s no way I wouldn’t wake up!”

“I do not report falsehoods. Moreover, why are you acting so self-righteous when you got up 10 minutes late? This is clear dereliction.”

“10 minutes?! You’re saying I woke up 10 minutes late?”

“Affirmative. Oversleeping by 10 minutes is undoubtedly dereliction. Therefore….”

“Ah, what the- It hasn’t even been that long. Wake me up a bit later. Yawn….”

As I tried to lie down again, the Captain grabbed my hand and pulled me up.

“Get up at once! Has dereliction become a habit for you? How can you possibly think of sleeping more in such a situation?!”

“Ah, I’m tired. I couldn’t even sleep fully last night because I went to meet a friend.”

“You even sneaked out in the middle of the night? I can’t see a single speck of intention to follow the rules in your actions!”

“What are you on about? You fell asleep even before bedtime yesterday.”

“Ne…Negative! No, not a negation of truth but a negation of intention! I did not intend that! It was beyond my control!”

Even as her face turned red, the Captain did not let me go back to sleep.

Ah, this is why it’s inconvenient to have a roommate, you know? It’s best to use a house alone.

“Today will not be the same. I have recovered from yesterday’s exhaustion and had enough sleep. I will not show such disgrace again today!”

“Ah, is that so?”

“Affirmative! Yesterday’s incident was an unexpected blow! Today will be differe….”

The Captain, who was shouting like that, tilted her head in sudden confusion.

“…? Question. Yesterday, I fell asleep in the bathroom, so how did….”

“Well then. Let’s go have breakfast! Sorry, but today’s breakfast is also Anna’s bean dish!”

As I jumped up and abruptly stormed out the door, the Captain, naively putting her question aside, hurriedly followed.

“Question. Why is that a matter of apology? Her bean dishes were quite… No, extremely delicious, though.”

“You think you can eat stir-fried beans again?”

“Affirmative. I can eat them all day long.”

Wow, a human is actually less picky than a dog, huh.

The Captain filled her mouth with Anna’s stir-fried beans once again today, her eyes sparkling with enjoyment.

“……!”

｢It is delicious…! A different taste from yesterday! Even though the appearance is definitely the same…!｣

“Is it delicious? Today, I put in a little more effort. Eat a lot.”

Anna smiled warmly. The Captain continuously nodded her head, enjoying the mixed stir-fry.

｢If I ask for this recipe…! Keugh, impossible. With this level of recipe, it must be confidential information! I won’t be able to find out…!｣

What need is there for a recipe? Just remember this. High heat and enough oil.

No, wait. Something else was mixed in too. This glimmering aroma that set the tone of the smell…Could it be?

Wow. She actually put this?

“Anna. How could you sprinkle that here?!”

Though I chided her, Anna merely replied in a nonchalant manner.

“I only sprinkled a little. It was just enough to fit between my thumb and index finger. Don’t worry, I didn’t even use the 10% commission I’m supposed to receive.”

“Look at you just using it as if it’s yours.”

“Does it feel like a waste even though it’s going in that kid’s mouth?”

“I had no plans to spoonfeed her gold dust.”

As I grumbled, Anna chuckled and picked up the bag by her side. She then gently placed a soup in front of the Captain before speaking affectionately.

“I have to stop by another district today. The restaurant will be closed today, so make sure to eat lunch somewhere else.”

“…?! Emergency! Is it true that it’s closed?”

“Huhu. Don’t worry, Hughes will guide you to a tastier place. This brat wanders around everywhere, so he knows plenty of good spots.”

“Negative….”

｢To say there could be a canned bean dish tastier than this. It’s impossible! That can’t be true!｣

Why are you limiting yourself to only beans? Have you never thought of other dishes?

Anna’s smile at the downhearted Captain was like a mother looking at her daughter; it was full of maternal love.

“If you can, wait until dinner. I might be able to return by then. Hughes. Take good care of her. I’ll go do the task you entrusted to me.”

That meant she was going to sell the spices I gave her. I grumbled.

“What’s there to take care of? She’s a person who can stand up for herself and live on her own.”

“That’s why I’m saying you should be her source of strength. Alone, one can only live valiantly, but together, it’s okay to be a little spoiled. In my opinion, you two need that.”

“Why do you keep treating her like some child abandoned beside a river? Rather than worrying about her, you should just worry about me.”

The Captain may not understand the ways of the back alleys, but still, when she was in uniform and headed back to the corps, there were plenty who would salute her first.

And though they might ignore her if they knew she was a signaller, since she hid her true identity, they would probably think she was just a normal Captain.

“…When I return, I’ll make something even tastier with all sorts of ingredients, so don’t feed her too much delicious food, okay?”

With a smile, Anna left the makeshift restaurant.

She was heading to the market in District 13. There, she would exchange the sprinkles of gold dust for real gold. She would also buy vegetables, and if there was money left, she might buy luxury Level 1 goods like fresh meat.

Hmm. I’m looking forward to it quite a bit. Then should I just take her on a simple tour today?

“Bbey. Are you done eating?”

The Captain, who had finished her bowl, nodded.

“Affirmative. She is exceptionally skilled. It is comparable to the best meal I have ever had.”

I heard about how scarily faithful people could be to familiar tastes, but to think that canned bean stir-fry was actually on par with the best meal she ever had. From my perspective, there was no way it wouldn’t raise questions about the welfare of the Military State’s soldiers.

I was actually quite curious as to how she would react when Anna came back and presented her cooking. What reaction would she show to a dish adjusted with ample funds and top-quality spices?

“Question. Who is Anna? Among the culinary specialists, no one presents cooking of this level. Was she a legendary former culinary specialist?”

“What are you even saying? How does it even make sense for legends to exist for culinary specialists? She’s just an ordinary Level 0 citizen.”

“…Level 0? Her?”

The Captain’s eyes widened, as if to find this fact surprising. I did not miss my chance to seize this gap and prodded her.

“You were just thinking that, weren’t you? To think that a mere Level 0 got to eat such delicious food! It’s so unfair! Was what you were thinking, yeah?!”

“Nega…!”

The captain, who was about to say ‘Negative’, swallowed her words and nodded honestly.

“Negative…to the Negative. Perhaps that is true. After all, I believed all low-level citizens lived hard and miserable lives.”

Low-level citizens did have a hard life and were a bit miserable, but you, a signaller, was the weird one. Compared to you, most low-level citizens were downright aristocratic.

…No, nevermind. The Captain still should have a steady income saved at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Though I did not know how that money would be used, it was still definitely better than someone who was Level 0.

“But still, the life of a Level 0 citizen, who is treated as half-abandoned by the administration, isn’t as substandard as I anticipated. The military authorities would surely be proud of this….”

｢That means my loyalty to the Military State was not in vain.｣

Huh. That’s a strange way of thinking.

Normally, seeing such a lifestyle would trigger thoughts like…

-Level 0s enjoy this much luxury and freedom, so why am I, a Level 3, living like this? Dissatisfaction! Rebellion! Strike! Revolution! I shall stop my duties from today onwards!

I thought she would react like that. But instead, she was proud of having been loyal to the Military State?

Her way of thinking was strange. Should I call it pure or steadfast? At this point, it was the State that was so impressive for creating these signallers.

“I cannot agree. I wonder. Is it really like that? You see, when people live together, there are no problems. The true problem for those without leisure arises when they face hardships.”

As commuting hours approached, the sounds of alarms echoed throughout the residential areas. Unlike the previous night, no one complained about the noise.

After all, if they didn’t wake up and ended up being late, their days of labor could increase.

To ordinary citizens, the existence of an alarm clock was a love-hate relationship. It painfully drove away the sweet sleep in the wee hours of morning, yet it was also a signal that protected their precious daily lives.

Most citizens, driven out of bed, walked the streets like corpses, clutching their growling, hungry stomachs without having breakfast. They mostly moved in the same direction, forming a massive flow of people.

Some young men stood in the hallway, pounding on a door.

“Hey! Phillip! Wake up!”

“You’re not dead, are you? Damn it, he looked tired yesterday. We should have just sent him home early.”

While the young men regretted their decision, the shrill sound of an alarm clock continued to blare inside the tightly shut room.

The Captain asked.

“Why are they knocking on someone else’s door?”

“They made a pact to wake each other up in case one of them couldn’t get up even after listening to their alarms. If they are late, their day’s work becomes invalid, after all.”

It was the cooperation of humanity to survive in this urban jungle. A union born out of necessity.

However, the Captain, who always woke up before the alarm, could not empathize with this.

“Question. Why do they need someone else’s help to wake up? Isn’t it just a matter of going to bed and waking up on time?”

“Don’t think everyone is like you. Some people, like me last night, sleep late due to unavoidable circumstances.”

“That is because of your own misconduct!”

The Captain held quite a bit of curiosity, so she decided to follow this river of people with me. The citizens, walking slowly on the main road, were divided into several groups.

Some crammed onto a large automaton carriage like they were human-shaped baggage.

Others lined up in front of a large building downtown.

Or they were swallowed up into a factory that looked like a huge storage space.

“Some work in factories, some in warehouses, some at terminals, and some in engineering or supply corps…They go to fulfill their day’s labor.”

The lower-class citizens of the Military State, a country without any land to farm, had nothing to offer but their bodies. Therefore, all the work available to them involved manual labor.

The majority of the ordinary citizens’ earnings came from these labor sites and they lived day-to-day on this income. Naturally, their wages came entirely from the State, which collected the products from these labor sites.

In essence, it was safe to assume that all places employing laborers were under the control of the Military State.

“I am aware of that much as well.”

“But you hardly knew about the types or intensities of labor, did you? Or which jobs are preferred.”

“…Affirmative.”

“Kekek. You’re a captain and you don’t even know that, huh.”

The Captain clamped her mouth shut as if her pride was hurt. Before she could sulk any further, I made a suggestion.

“Since it came up, how about we experience labor today?”

“Is that kind of work available for experience?”

“There’s nothing in this world that can’t be done. Everything works out if you talk it out well.”

“…Warning. Your statement contains significant danger. There are matters legally prohibited by the Military State and violating them can lead to severe punishment depending on the level of prohibition.”

Despite saying this, the Captain seemed secretly interested in seeing inside the factory and joined the line with me.

It could be a bit tough for the indoor-dwelling Captain, but realizing the hardships of labor here might be good for her. Maybe this would be a bigger stimulus.

It was then that it happened.

A shout erupted in the midst of the crowd.

“You damn thief!”

With a fierce and violent kick, a small boy was struck down. Even while he rolled from the impact, he continued to deny it while rubbing his hands together.

“I-I didn’t do it!”

It was the pickpocket boy who had laid his hands on me yesterday.

It seemed as if he had not yet reached the level of a skilled pickpocket, so he was facing an infuriated man head-on

“I saw you trying to pickpocket! How dare you try to pretend you didn’t!”

Everyone passing by glanced at them once.

But that was it.

The people walking by looked at the boy and the man once and then continued on their way. Their attitude was one of utter indifference.

“Help me! This person is trying t….AH!”

Whether it was the person being robbed or the person being beaten for stealing, it wasn’t their concern.

In fact, no one had intervened or complained even when the boy was caught by me yesterday. They only looked because there was a Captain of the Military State nearby.

In this area, there were few people with the luxury to actively intervene in other’s affairs.

“…Pickpocketing is a crime. Although it is not a serious crime, committing the same crime again after yesterday is a significant problem.”

And the Captain wouldn’t have had that luxury either.

But this girl, who strangely equated others with herself, was about to step in for the wailing boy.

“But. Personal sanctions are not permitted. He does not have the right to arbitrarily punish him as a criminal.”

If she had been left to the Military State as is, she would have been the first to be ruined. Despite her lack of leisure, she still offered an opening with her own two hands; practically, an express train to her downfall.

I wonder. Did the Military State protect signallers or exploit them?

“…Do not stop me.”

“No. I should stop you. After all, the boy wouldn’t want you to intervene either.”

I adjusted my pace leisurely among the flow of people. The man, who nearly got late for work, kicked the boy one last time and disappeared into the crowd.

The boy, who had been lying down as if dead, opened his eyes slightly to check the man’s distancing figure and then quickly got up. A faint smile hung on his lips, which was letting out involuntary groans.

“…Heheh, even if I get caught during rush hour…as long as it’s not too bad…I won’t get dragged to the orphanage…So it’s worth a shot….”

There was no gain, but no loss either.

The boy considered that luck and disappeared back into the streets.

The Captain, who had coincidentally brushed past the boy just then, heard this and tightly shut her mouth.

“….”

｢They do not wish for it. They do not want the Military State’s judgment. If I had intervened, both of them would have faced an unwanted outcome.｣

Being a soldier, from her perspective, it was a dereliction of duty from both of them. The boy who committed the crime should rightfully head to the orphanage and the man should have reported the crime instead of taking personal revenge.

However, the Captain was genuinely relieved that she did not intervene.

I, feigning consolation, spoke with a subtle undertone.

“Haha. Don’t be upset. This is just everyday life.”

There was no response.