Time is relative.
This isn’t some complicated discussion like the theory of relativity. It’s psychological. The kind of thing where time flows differently for a private than it does for a soldier nearing discharge.
For someone busy, doing work they aren’t used to, time passes quickly. When something unwanted is approaching, time flows without mercy.
That was what time was like for me this week. Ruthless.
As soon as I woke up in the morning, I braced one hand against the wall and waited for a moment. I didn’t feel the urge to kill myself this morning either.
“Deep, did you sleep well? How’s your body?”
The smartwatch vibrated faintly.
“Heavy.”
My body felt heavy.
I hadn’t stopped running every morning. This frail body didn’t seem like it could withstand any exercise other than running. In truth, even running made me taste my limits day by day.
What bothered me more than that was the date. In other words, that merciless time.
“Ailee.”
“Yeah?”
“Today is Friday, right?”
“Yeah! It’s the day of your important appointment. Right?”
It wasn’t particularly important.
A sigh slipped out on its own.
Ever since that day, Ran had sent me every piece of information related to Aaron Dyke’s piloting skills without leaving out a single thing. It felt a little like encouragement, so at least the pressure eased somewhat.
If only Ian hadn’t kicked the dining table there.
No, even then, something like this would have happened eventually. If anything, the argument with Aaron would have dragged on, made me even more exhausted, and this would still have happened all the same.
Could that even be called an argument? It was nothing more than a conversation where I was one-sidedly on the receiving end.
As I was changing clothes, the smartwatch rang once again.
“Deep.”
“Yes?”
“I’m asking just in case, but you weren’t forced into this, were you?”
My hands stopped while changing, then moved again.
Forced into this, huh.
“Maybe I was.”
I closed my eyes and opened them, and I was in this world. I survived, wandering through the filth of junkyards. By chance, I passed an entrance qualification exam that opened up and began living like a person.
I took several more exams I didn’t want, and went through encounters I didn’t want. I was picked on when I didn’t want to be, and every day I was exposed to gazes I didn’t want.
From where had I been forced into things? Who was I supposed to trust? Did such a thing as a trustworthy person even exist?
“Then you can’t!”
My body flinched again.
“If you don’t like something, you have to say clearly that you don’t like it! You’re the only one who knows how you feel! Things that are obvious to other people might not be obvious to you, Deep!”
“It’s easy to say, but that’s hard for me.”
I see.
There’s no particular reason I need to trust people. For someone born with a disposition like mine, that should be a long-term goal. Right now, what I needed was a far simpler kind of trust.
“Then I’ll do it for you!”
Ailee shouted.
“If you start hating it, tell me! Or let’s decide on some kind of signal! I’ll say it for you!”
“Other people will be upset.”
“They’re the ones upsetting you!”
So the gyaru mechanic really is kind to otaku.
Ailee was on my side.
“Then I’ll try to be brave.”
That alone made me feel somehow relieved.
For the first time since coming here, I smiled a little.
***
Afternoon lecture on Monday, full days of classes on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Since most of them were theory-related lectures, even cadets with a strong passion for learning were bound to grow exhausted.
Most of those cadets were waiting only for the lecture held on Friday morning.
“I imagine you’ve all seen me before. I’m Zeke. I don’t know whether your expressions are relaxed because it’s Friday, or because of the nature of this lecture.”
Simulation sparring.
Sparring that involved directly moving Titans was no easy matter when considering repair costs, the required location, and so on. In particular, it took quite a bit of time to reserve a site and put it into practice.
The lecture meant to resolve that was simulation sparring.
Thanks to that, if one could call it that, most of the cadets were in bright spirits. After all, there was no pilot who hated operating a Titan.
For pilots, preferring practical training over theory was a natural attitude.
Professor Zeke quietly looked over the cadets, then nodded and spoke.
“Most of you have probably already used the simulation devices. You use them when taking the entrance qualification exam. Most of you probably remember that I was beside them too.”
Quite a few cadets nodded. The princess kept her head still. For her, who had been sent onto the battlefield from the age of sixteen, it must have been an unnecessary procedure.
“They look like simple spherical machines, but they are a concentration of the latest technology. Only the Empire possesses simulation devices this perfect.”
There was no pride in Professor Zeke’s words. Rather, it strongly felt like he was saying it because he had been told to.
“If you input the custom unit profile stored in your smartwatch, you’ll be able to operate that unit. It wouldn’t be bad to use this opportunity to try out the unit you made in Titan Modification Theory. If there are no questions—”
“I have a question!”
One of the cadets raised his hand high. He was a male cadet with striking bright red hair. The other cadets glanced at the cadet who had raised his hand and glared.
“If you delay things, the other cadets will try to kill you, but ask.”
“I’m curious, from your perspective, Professor, who was the most eye-catching cadet during the entrance qualification exam!”
The atmosphere among the cadets changed. Every gaze turned toward Professor Zeke. It was a matter as intriguing as who had entered at the top of the class. The cadet who had caught Professor Zeke’s eye.
Professor Zeke lowered his head for a moment in thought, then answered in a low voice.
“It was a lowborn.”
“Do you mean Cadet Deep!”
“He was from a class before yours.”
“I’m curious about who stood out among our class!”
“Then it’s Cadet Deep.”
Ooh.
Along with countless voices, gazes surged toward me. Belatedly, I turned my head toward the window to avoid them.
One gaze in particular did not leave me.
The owner of that gaze raised his hand high just like that.
“I have a question!”
Aaron Dyke.
“Go ahead.”
“Can we choose our sparring opponent?”
“You want to go against Cadet Deep?”
“Yes.”
Most of the cadets fell silent without surprise. There were fewer cadets who didn’t know about what had happened in the school cafeteria. A few looked at me with pitying eyes.
They thought there was no way I could win.
Professor Zeke nodded.
“Do as you like. It’s none of my business. I’ll just modify the list for a moment.”
“Understood.”
Professor Zeke began correcting the documents. Just as I was about to lower my head and sigh, my shoulder abruptly jerked forward. A hand approaching from behind passed through the empty air where my shoulder had been.
“Huh?”
The presence that had approached from behind seemed taken aback for a moment, then laughed awkwardly. It was the red-haired cadet who had asked the question earlier.
“There’s a rumor that Aaron Dyke’s weak point is his left side. Try aiming there.”
“Yes?”
The red-haired cadet grinned.
“I’m Levan! Like you, I didn’t originally have a personal unit, so I received an Academy-issued one. So I guess I feel a bit of kinship with you. Personally, I’m kind of rooting for you.”
“Ah, um, yes.”
That was none of my business.
“So I really hope you win. Show them that people like us can do it too!”
When I made a somewhat strange expression, Levan clenched his fist and shook it as if cheering me on. Soon, when Levan’s name was called, he waved at me and left his seat.
Everyone boarded the simulation devices as their names were called. The princess beside me stared blankly into empty space, as if she had no interest in anything.
Come to think of it.
“Y-Your Imperial Highness.”
“Hm?”
The princess turned her head with a slightly surprised expression. It seemed she hadn’t expected me to speak to her first. Why did everyone react like that whenever I talked to them?
“I-I’m fighting with Lord Aaron, so… do, do you not feel anything about it?”
Not in the slightest?
When I looked somewhat surprised, the princess shrugged as if it were obvious.
“He is neither a man who can surprise me, nor a man stronger than me.”
“But your engagement—”
“Loveless engagements are commonplace in the Empire. For the Empire, my marriage is a small matter.”
Ah, um.
Over there, he was extremely bothered by Your Imperial Highness being next to me, though.
Before I could convey those words, the princess’s name was called and she left her seat. The only ones left in place at the end were me and Aaron.
Professor Zeke called out without delay.
“Cadet Deep. Cadet Aaron. Take your positions in the simulation devices.”
“Y-Yes.”
“Understood.”
However, I knew one thing for certain.
Whatever I did to Aaron here, the princess wouldn’t care in the slightest.
“Cadet Aaron, can you board the simulation device by yourself?”
“I can.”
“Board first. I’ll help Cadet Deep.”
Aaron nodded and climbed into the simulation device. Professor Zeke approached me, pushed me firmly into the simulation device, and spoke quietly.
“Don’t use the high-mobility type. Your body still can’t withstand it. I heard you made six unit profiles. Bring them up for now.”
Was he trying to help me?
But I didn’t need it. Before coming here, I had created a new Titan profile to use in the simulation.
“I-I’ve already decided.”
When I took out my smartwatch and turned on the hologram, Professor Zeke frowned after a moment.
“It’s an exploit.”
“Y-Yes.”
“It’s a trash strategy that thoroughly takes advantage of the fact that this is a simulation, meant to win only this one time.”
Thunk!
Professor Zeke closed the hatch of the simulation device.
“But I’ll respect it.”
The screen turned on. The battlefield came into view. The opponent’s figure was not yet visible.
Beep. A brief connection time to confirm each other’s preparation status and signal the start of the sparring match.
“Hey, lowborn!”
“I hate you.”
“What?”
I didn’t want to hear his answer. Because I hated it.
“I hate the attention. I hate the look in your eyes. I hate you picking fights with me. And that doesn’t mean I want pity from you when you see me stuttering either.”
“No, that was genuine concern—”
“So with all my strength, with all the courage I can muster, I’ll express just how much I hate it.”
I pushed the two sticks and the pedals forward at the same time.
“Deep.”
The reaction force pulled my body backward.
“Dive.”