Research Department Interview

The lunch hour arrived as always.

“Is it today?”

“Honestly, I’m pretty nervous……”

However, the classroom was unlike usual. Even with the instructor present, chatter occasionally leaked out.

“Everyone, quiet!”

Only when Gartel raised his voice to control the children, conscious of the atmosphere, did the commotion finally settle down.

Well, it’s certainly a day worth being excited about.

It’s none other than the start of interviews for research departments, which is one of the most important events for the candidates, no, first-year students, and quite a big event for the military academy as well.

“I understand you’re excited, but try to restrain yourselves.”

“Yes, understood!”

Gartel seemed to know about this schedule too, as unlike usual, he didn’t raise his voice and just gave a simple warning.

“Then everyone line up!”

Then he continued with his usual routine.

That beard looks cool no matter when I see it.

As Gartel inspected the cadets and prepared for the closing ceremony, I silently watched him while focusing on his old-fashioned seagull beard.

I wonder how much wax he used to shape it like that.

Clap clap─!

I examined that hair until just before the instructor clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention.

“I trust you know that today is the deadline for department applications. Interviews will be conducted in the afternoon, so keep that in mind.”

“Yes!”

“You’re dismissed.”

Finally, when he left to have lunch, I shifted my gaze.

Pitter-patter!

“Yena! I’ll do well in the interview, right?”

In that shifted view was Erika, with hair color that could be said to contain the pure blue sky, her hands politely joined and eyes sparkling brightly.

“Of course.”

“Hehe……”

Seeing her worried about the interview made me realize how quickly time had passed.

In the past, days dragged on boringly and time passed slowly, but before I knew it, a week had passed since department applications began.

It means I’ve been spending happy days.

Starting today, there are various schedules, so not all departments are interviewing today, but at least the one Erika applied for is conducting interviews and announcements simultaneously today, so she needed to maintain her tension.

It wasn’t just any department, but the famous Magic Tactics Planning Department.

“Why do you want to join the Planning Department, Erika?”

“Of course, it’s because Yena…… Ah, n-no, I’ve always liked researching strategies and reading tactical journals, hehe.”

Like yesterday, I couldn’t know the exact reason from Erika’s puzzling expression, but anyway, I welcomed it.

If she joins the same department as me, we’ll have more time to spend together, which makes it easier to educate her about something.

Of course, I wasn’t worried about her failing. How could a child who maintained consistency even in this hellish weather possibly fail?

Rustle─

I lifted my head to face the blazing sunlight. Influenced by the unique climate of the Federation’s inland region, terrible temperature differences with hot days and cold nights repeated daily.

But Erika never skipped a day of training.

So I was confident.

No, who taught her in the first place?

Adding a bit of exaggeration, I prided myself that she possessed combat ability within the top five among the first-year students currently enrolled in this military academy. Of course, this included her intellect too.

I thoroughly taught her the theory.

Lest she fail the written test, I made sure she was fully equipped with all the necessary skills to be unrivaled even in the Magic Tactics Planning Department, which is said to be the most excellent among the departments.

She will surely pass wherever she goes.

Yes, she must.

I repeated this to myself inwardly.

“But how do you know all this, Yena?”

“I studied it long ago. My father was a magic officer, though he’s passed away now.”

“Oh, I’m sorry……”

“It’s okay.”

Erika gazed at my face with shining eyes. For some reason, her sympathetic look resembled the eyes of a wistful squirrel.

It’s comfortable indeed.

Whether innocent or foolish, she accepted the answer without a hint of doubt. At times like this, I was grateful for Erika’s uniquely kind nature.

I was also thankful to my father.

I should visit his grave sometime. And sincerely pay my respects. The help I’ve received from him now amounts to more than a dozen times, so I needed to show proper courtesy.

Although I can’t repay with tears as I’m not sad, I did have the mind to show respect as a soldier.

“But can’t I touch your cheek just once?”

“Later, if you win.”

“I-I guess so, right?”

“Yes.”

Anyway, now is the time to focus on preparing for the department interview. I headed towards the now familiar training ground to make Erika review theory until the very end.

---

In a quiet office.

“Are you all applicants?”

A woman with pink hair and round glasses spoke, alternately looking at the documents on the desk and the cadets in front of her.

“Yes!”

And the children who heard that question answered energetically in unison.

Their appearances differed, their genders varied, and their hair and eye colors were diverse, but they all had one thing in common: papers with numbers written on them attached to their chests.

They were students applying for an interview with none other than the Magic Tactics Planning Department.

“Y-Yes!”

Naturally, Erika was included in this group.

“You don’t need to raise your hand.”

“Ah, ahaha, I’m sorry!”

“Pfft, it’s okay. You’re an interesting kid, aren’t you?”

“Hehe……”

Erika lowered her head shyly at the senior interviewer’s chuckling response.

‘I-I can do this.’

However, she didn’t lose the intense will contained in her sparkling eyes.

Grip─

I absolutely won’t fail. She strengthened her resolve while tightly gripping her skirt hem, maintaining a proper posture. She couldn’t disappoint Yena, could she?

She helped me so much.

For someone like her with a strong desire for growth, every minute and second not spent training would be precious, yet she devoted herself to me. No, she even became my personal teacher.

I must repay her efforts.

She couldn’t turn Yena’s actions up to now into a mere waste of time. She’ll definitely return with splendid results.

[Tactics Planning Department Interview Committee]

Looking at the sign in front with its brief yet powerful meaning, Erika, as Yena had advised before the interview,

‘Calm down. Cool your head.’

She composed herself.

“Then let’s start the interview.”

“Yes!”

“Understood!”

In sync with this, the interview officially began.

Starting with the department officer who had just spoken, the cheerful senior female, and a man who still hadn’t said a word and just nodded silently.

A total of three people sat in the position to evaluate the applicants.

‘H-He’s big.’

Among them, the most conspicuously eye-catching person was neither the department officer nor the female senior, but the unnamed male senior.

Would this be what a gorilla looks like if it were to incarnate?

The height difference was nearly double, and his body was huge as if made by bundling together cadets similar to me. I was naturally overwhelmed by the imposing presence of muscles all over his body.

I guess you need to be that level to qualify to judge cadets.

Surely the pink-haired senior sitting on the opposite side must have extraordinary talent too, even if she doesn’t look like much externally.

Gulp!

I have to pass this gate to finally meet Yena, just do as I usually do. Despite her hands becoming clammy, Erika tried to maintain her composure.

“Erika von Rosehilt.”

“Yes!”

“Is it okay if we start?”

In that harsh environment,

“……Yes!”

Her life’s greatest challenge began.

---

The clock moves without rest.

Tick─ Tock─

The hour hand moving with short mechanical sounds was already pointing towards the upper left. Dusk had long fallen on the ground, and darkness was approaching.

“Mmm.”

And I sat on a park bench in that cold evening weather, savoring the sweetness and richness of a cream puff.

It should be over by now.

When is she coming? Hours had passed since I took a seat in front of the building housing the Magic Tactics Planning Department interview room near the main building. But there was still no sign of Erika coming out.

“It’s getting cold……”

I wiped the cream smeared around my mouth. I thought about just returning to the dormitory, but that didn’t appeal to me at all.

Still, she’s a student I taught.

It’s a teacher’s duty to wait until their student’s test is over. Of course, I’m not a real teacher, but I wanted to see Erika running towards me with a smile, bringing news of her success.

She wouldn’t have failed, right?

Given Erika’s talent and my knowledge combined, I couldn’t even imagine a mishap occurring, but with this long delay, unnecessary thoughts began to arise.

“Nom.”

Creak─!

Just as I was about to finish the last piece of the cream puff, finally, the unpleasant hinge sound peculiar to the main building’s front door was heard.

“Man, that was tough……”

“Tch. You failed this? Did you pass?”

“As if.”

When I raised my head, dozens of cadets were pouring out.

The number tags attached to their bodies indicated that they were cadets who had interviewed at the Magic Tactics Planning Department.

Where’s Erika?

I quickly swallowed the piece of bread in my mouth and approached the crowd coming out of the main building. Then I rolled my eyes around to find the familiar silhouette of blue hair.

Pitter-patter!

And then I discovered one cadet.

Grin─

I narrowed my eyes for a moment to identify them, and not long after, I made dimples around my mouth.

“Y-Yena!”

The corners of the eyes and tip of the nose of the girl rushing towards me,

“I passed──!”

Were flushed bright red.