LIGHTNOVELSTORY “Khahaha!”
“Quiet down.”
“Huhahaha! I had fun yesterday, while you two just worked away in the office, huh?”
Midori said with a bright smile.
I didn’t think anything bad of it; I just found it moderately cute.
In fact, I roughly knew why Midori was acting like this.
She probably wanted to brag about enjoying her day off yesterday.
“I had a blast outside all day yesterday!”
“Is that so?”
“Of course! I even went to a concert! A rock concert!”
She did mention she was going to a concert, but I didn’t expect it to be rock.
I thought it might be some obscure music, but maybe she has an unorthodox taste?
Well, it didn’t really matter, but suddenly saying it was a rock concert surprised me a bit.
“It sounds like it was fun. Did you go alone?”
“Huh? I’m not friendless! Of course, I went with someone!”
The Commander continued the conversation with Midori while shuffling through paperwork.
While Midori initially teased a bit, we actually weren’t phased by it at all.
“Well, we also took a break yesterday. It was somewhat enjoyable.”
“Ek!?”
“What’s wrong?”
“No, um? Huh?! Ehhh!?”
“Isn’t that a bit too surprised? You took a day off too; can’t we do the same?”
Midori looked genuinely surprised by the Commander’s words.
I guess she thought we would just sit still in the office.
So, when we suddenly said we had fun, it was natural for her to be shocked.
The Commander was also a bit surprised when he realized Midori suddenly took a day off yesterday.
Well, I knew about it beforehand.
“Why!? You didn’t have fun when I was around!”
“Well, there was no reason to rest.”
“Th-That’s fair, but still!”
“You weren’t here, and I was too lazy to work.”
“Is it normal for the Commander to say that so boldly?!”
The Commander indeed looked like he really couldn’t be bothered to work yesterday.
So that’s why I allowed him to take a break, plus I was a bit tired from working every day except holidays.
So I just took a rest.
It wasn’t that there was any special reason behind it.
“Well, how do you typically say you’re too lazy to work? Shouldn’t you say it normally?”
“Umm… That’s true! So what did you do out?”
“I just casually watched a movie. Had a meal too.”
There wasn’t anything particularly special about it.
We just went out to the area, watched a movie, and then spent time normally afterward.
“Eh.”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Um…. Umm…. Uh, it’s nothing!”
“How about you focus on work now, Midori? We’ve still got time, but the morning work hours have started.”
“Hmm…. Okay!”
Finally, Midori started to cut down on the chit-chat and focus on work.
Despite the time until lunch still being there, we had work to do.
Besides, it didn’t feel like they were just having casual chatter either.
“But you two went out together…?”
“Yes, that’s correct?”
Midori peeked out curiously as she asked that.
I didn’t know why she suddenly asked, but a handful of agents were already curious about the Commander.
Besides, it wasn’t a difficult question, just an objective fact.
There was really no reason not to answer.
“……Wow.”
*
Thinking about it, today, I had to assign agents to send for logistical support.
Well, technically, any suitable agent would suffice.
But of course, it wouldn’t do to send just any agent when we needed important personnel from our ship.
“What will you do?”
“First, let’s remove all agents working in the cafeteria.”
“Yes, understood.”
“And obviously exclude the 1st and 2nd Squads, hmm… Certainly, the lack of agents is a problem.”
What the Commander said was true.
The exclusion of the 10 agents in the 1st and 2nd Squads alone meant a significant number was off the table, and the cafeteria agents were double that.
Moreover, there were also agents handling maintenance or operations on the ship, and it would be better to exclude healers as well.
Of course, sending some wouldn’t be a problem, but there weren’t that many healers on our ship.
It became a situation where I really had to think hard.
“What will you do? I recommend sending about 2 from the convent Mary is part of, and 2 more from elsewhere.”
I thought 4 or 5 should be enough.
In fact, I’m sure the headquarters never expected we’d have a lot of agents to dispatch.
That’s because… Babil 07 only truly started operating a mere 2 months ago.
We were managing to progress our operations smoothly, but we were still lacking agents and had to gradually receive more supplies.
“Well… let’s just call you to the office. After all, you know the agents better than I do, right?”
“Understood.”
In the first place, I had already thought a bit about it.
I decided to contact the agents we’d be calling, as the Commander said.
Moreover, healers weren’t all from the same affiliation.
They were divided into priest-like agents grouped by the convent and actual doctors capable of performing surgeries.
Well, in the game, there wasn’t a major difference, but…
“Hmmm… I’ll call for 2 from the convent. The only ones I can contact right now are those few.”
It wasn’t that appealing to just pick healers randomly, but it also wasn’t like we needed them urgently.
After all, the agents actually participating in the mission wouldn’t be that many, and we should increase the agents’ experience.
Plus, as time passed, there would be more activities they could do externally.
Additionally, it would probably be a good idea to grow their experience.
“Commander, these agents haven’t really interacted with you that much, but I bet they’ll listen well to your orders.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Nothing much. Just that if you charm them properly, they will spontaneously come to support you.”
They weren’t the tsundere type, so it was obvious they would listen well to their employer, the Commander.
Besides, thanks to the Commander’s looks, they’d probably see him favorably at first glance.
Just a little compliment would be enough to convince them to go along.
Or maybe not?
“That can’t be true, right…? No matter how you say it, that just…”
“Just trust me. All you need to say is, ‘I’ve watched you all for quite a while and know you well. So, showing your usual diligence when you go would be great.’”
I lowered my voice to imitate the Commander’s and said that.
Of course, even if I did that, it ultimately came out in a woman’s voice, so I couldn’t give off that attractive male voice distinct to the Commander.
“It doesn’t seem like they’d comply just from that… I mean, it’s a bit far from here; who would like to go for a business trip?”
Well, the Commander didn’t seem to trust me too much.
After all, he wasn’t particularly aware of how well to manage agents, despite knowing them somewhat.
But he’d realize that soon enough.
*
“Of course, if it’s what the Commander wishes, we shall follow.”
“Yes. I’m sure the Lord would wish for that as well.”
“….”
The Nun Sisters, with pink and blue hair.
They were just ordinary 4-star nun agents, but good enough at healing, so I decided to call them.
Though to be honest, their clothes were a bit… too revealing for a nun’s outfit.
Mary certainly dressed modestly, but was it just because she was an adult?
For some reason, they were dressed in outfits reminiscent of subculture nun wear.
Ah, and in the first place, the game was part of subculture, right?
“When should we be ready to support? We are always prepared.”
“As my sister said. If it’s what the Commander says, we’re ready for anything.”
“Um….”
Well, as expected, the Nun Sisters, Angelica and Veronica, readily followed the Commander’s words.
Especially the older sister, Angelica, even asked the Commander a question, which was quite impressive.
It must be that handsome face of his that did the trick.
If the Commander had an ordinary face, I’m sure they wouldn’t have responded so well.
“Uh… Just wait a bit. We don’t have everyone gathered yet….”
“Then, please thank you for summoning us after gathering the remaining personnel. Even if others do not arrive, we, as sisters, will be ready to respond at any time upon your command.”
“…Thank you. For now, go back and rest. I’ll contact you again later.”
“Yes, then may your day be blessed once again, Commander.”
“May you be blessed as well.”
Saying that, they turned and left.
Watching the Nun Sisters leave, I thought about them.
Certainly, having unique hair colors made them feel more mystical and beautiful.
Of course, being agents meant they had to be pretty, but their pink and blue hair surely added to their charm.
When I first saw their hair, I was genuinely astonished by how unique it was.
The hair of agents from the 1st and 2nd Squads was only vaguely interesting, with Agni being the standout.
Otherwise, it was just Midori’s greyish hair that was intriguing.
But pink and blue hair definitely felt more engrossingly unique.
“What do you think? About them?”
“Well, I guess this is our first meeting. Not much thought about it.”
They seemed as indifferent as whenever they met other agents.
I thought maybe a reaction would come from encountering such pretty agents for the first time, but…
Clearly, they weren’t significantly interested in them at all.
A bit anticlimactic.
“Is that so? Well, that’s good.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s good that the Commander won’t get any strange ideas seeing another pretty agent.”
It would definitely be a hassle if the Commander developed awkward interests toward the agents.
Though officers having odd interests from agents would probably happen sooner.
That part didn’t seem as problematic, though, so I didn’t pay too much attention to it.
After all, if the Commander didn’t reciprocate, it wouldn’t be an issue at all, would it?