It went without saying, but no matter how much I thought about it, I came to a startling realization.
The administration really does think of everything.
I had thought the announcement of the top-ranked student was a bit late. That it was announced right after the club application period ended—I had thought it was an amazing coincidence.
It wasn't a coincidence. It was intentional.
The administration was deliberately arranging things so students wouldn't flock to the club the top-ranked student belonged to.
How did I know?
You could tell by looking at this packed-to-the-brim cafe interior right now.
"Drinks, hurry! Quickly!"
"There are too many customers, do you know how long the line is outside right now?!"
"We don't know! We haven't been able to go out!"
Ruban shouted at the seniors.
The maids, who had been calm and gentle while out on the floor serving, turned into beasts the instant they stepped into the kitchen.
Senior Aila, who should be managing the floor? She was shouting toward the kitchen from the very front. Except, unlike the other seniors, she wasn't yelling threateningly—she was just smiling.
"Our masters are packed in like this, aren't they? I'll be counting on you to hurry!"
Maybe that person just wants to hurry up and work like a maid.
Even as I thought that, I didn't have time to turn my head toward the floor. I just quickly brewed coffee and moved cups. If I hadn't had part-time cafe experience in the past, this really wouldn't have been easy.
Naturally, the culprit and victim of this commotion was the same.
"Kee, keeyahhoo."
It wasn't excitement. It was the sound of stamina running out. He was just doing his best to somehow keep his energy up.
The sounds coming from outside from time to time were spine-chilling.
"Isn't Ruban here?"
"I'm Ruban's friend. No, I'm telling the truth!"
"What... is your relation... to that maid? If there is none. No need... to make trouble. Wait your turn."
"I'm friends with that maid over there though?"
Villains. Villains. And villains.
Outside, the disturbance never ceased. While the maids and butlers urgently mediated the situation, Senior Aila said, "Even such lowly people are our masters."
And with an expression that suggested she rather liked it.
I felt like I was losing my mind.
"You didn't come to the academy to visit a cafe."
Ruban, who had been trying to keep his energy up until just now, muttered.
"Why, why, why, why are they coming here like this?"
Y-yeah, tell me about it.
It's probably because you're the top-ranked student.
"Why does business keep doing so well!!!"
There was no one to answer him.
***
Two weeks had passed since joining the club.
I hadn't gotten close to Ruban, the top-ranked student, despite being in the same club, but I had benefited greatly anyway.
It was decent enough, with reasonably good earnings, to the point that I didn't regret refusing Professor Sumeragi's teaching assistant offer.
Aside from having to fend off Senior Aila asking me to help with her maid training after the cafe closed, the work wasn't that hard.
It wasn't manual labor, nor did I have to get beaten up.
When I told Ran about the weekly pay I got from the cafe, she made a slightly surprised expression, perhaps because the amount was considerable compared to other clubs.
"To think there's a club that can generate profit, Deep, you really had it all planned out! When you said you wouldn't take the TA offer, honestly, I thought you were an idiot!"
"No, that guy's definitely an idiot. He absolutely didn't do that thinking it through. I guarantee it."
You bastard.
Anyway, moving on.
A joint grade training was scheduled soon. The more money, the better. Because if I had income and information, I could buy suitable parts and customize in advance.
"J-joint training is, uh, what, do you, do?"
As if Ran had been waiting for my question, she turned on her smartwatch. At the same time, large and small holograms floated in the air.
We didn't need to worry about our meeting or holograms being exposed to those around us. Because the Employers Club had lent us a room, we could hold our meeting here.
"Now, watch carefully, okay?"
Among the holograms, Ran grabbed a long text and zoomed in.
"The rules are simple. An outstanding student among the second-years above us becomes the leader, forming a five-person squad."
Ah.
When I slightly opened my mouth, Ran said with a smile.
"It's just team play. We did pretty well too, didn't we? Don't be too nervous!"
No, the reason there had been no big problems in our three-person team play was because we didn't meet the personnel requirements mentioned in the words of some ancient sage.
Among five people, there's bound to be trash. If five people don't gather, the probability of there being trash is almost zero.
Even if I explained, they wouldn't understand, and this mouth of mine wouldn't do a good job explaining anyway, so I decided to just listen quietly.
More than that, there was a word that bothered me.
"Shall we skip the training objectives for now? Since our goal is first place anyway. Basically, the joint training is conducted as squad battles."
Squad battle.
That combat method's name had been officially used even in Titan Core Part 1.
In Titan Core, a fight between single Titans was called sparring. Most PVP was sparring, but squad battles also enjoyed comparable popularity.
It was a method where five people formed a team and fought until they achieved a specific objective or until one side was wiped out.
In the end, there was only one conclusive goal.
"This joint training continues until only one team remains, it says. Tough, huh?"
Becoming number one.
To think it continues until only one team remains.
"Th-that means."
"It means it can go on for days. Probably."
"That's right. I looked it up because I was curious, and last year's joint training was also squad battles, and it lasted four days?"
Four days?
My body trembled. I didn't have confidence in moving a Titan continuously for four days with this body. In other words.
"In the end, you have to fight while coordinating rest time through smooth communication with squad members."
To put that another way.
"Like when we took the exam together last time, we'll need to have a separate team play meeting."
My expression slightly scrunched up.
When Ran saw my expression, she made an "oops" face.
"If it's too much of a burden, shall I go instead?"
Good sense.
Usually, the Titan team's leader was the pilot, but the pilot who was the leader didn't necessarily have to attend team meetings. Ran had picked up on that fact too.
There was no reason to refuse.
"Th-then if you could do that."
Vroooom!
It was gone.
My wrist trembled. It was my smartwatch. All three of us flinched and looked at my wrist at the same time. A familiar voice rang from the speaker.
"No, you go yourself!"
"Eily?"
Ran made a bewildered expression.
"Y-yes? No, there's no need for that. Of course other teams will have their pilots represent them, but you don't have to go that far."
"Seriously? This is totally a battle of wills!"
What kind of talk was this now? But I couldn't dismiss it as nonsense, because Eily's voice was quite adamant.
"Other teams have their pilots come out! But if our team goes out with just the operator? We'd be totally screwed! Of course Deep, the pilot, has to go!"
"Eily, if that's the logic, then shouldn't Ian go since he has the strongest presence among us?"
Eily shouted as if frustrated by my question.
"What's an engineer doing going to a meeting! Just do your customizing!"
Ran and Ian fell silent at the same time, then opened their mouths at the same time.
"Uh, Deep. Why don't you stammer when talking to A12?"
"If you were human, I'd crack that damn skull of yours right now, hmph."
Startled, Ran quickly covered Ian's mouth.
Ran covered him, muffled sounds leaking out. Eventually, when Ian seemed to give up and stopped making noise, Ran slowly lowered her hand.
"Later when you're customizing, I'm gonna take a damn hammer to your Core..."
And she covered Ian's mouth again.
Watching the two fight, I leaned my back against the chair. Not because I was watching for fun, but because I needed some time to think.
Eily had a point too.
Basically, Titan member authority prioritized the pilot first, then the operator, and lastly the engineer.
It wasn't that engineers deserved to be slighted, but compared to the pilot who went out onto the battlefield, they were more replaceable.
In the end, among Titan members, only the pilot could speak with the most persuasiveness.
"W-well, Deep will make the final decision anyway."
"Deep, you have to be able to say you don't like something with your own mouth!"
Even so, there are still people in this world who can't say they don't like things they don't like.
Being able to say you don't like something and being capable of saying you don't like something are completely different. What was easy for Eily was difficult for me.
Ian stared holes into me. Though his mouth was still covered, what he wanted to say was delivered loud and clear.
Do it.
Ian would have said it like that.
"I'll... do it."
I knew the difference between what I could do and what I had to do.
Usually, what you have to do is something you don't want to do.
Ran made a slightly surprised expression. And after her lips twitched a few times, she simply nodded.
"I'm counting on you, Deep."
"Good thinking, Deep!"
Eily chirped happily, vibrating briefly.
***
"Then, we'll have Cadet Deep maintain a constant state of alert. It probably won't have much meaning as combat strength anyway."
Ah.
Should I kick the table like Ian?