Currently, the Spacystro is formed by numerous nations and groups that escaped when the maternity was destroyed.
No matter how small a group is, once it forms, differences in opinions arise frequently. So, it’s not right to say there are no conflicts within such a huge organization like Spacystro.
There was a clear reason for them to come together as one group: before the maternity was destroyed. They had already created an environment for smooth communication among numerous nations and groups within the planet, extending far into space.
It wasn’t easy to integrate the opinions of so many people existing within a massive planet, and it took a lot of time for them to unite with the goal of advancing together into space.
However, they spent time uniting, and that’s why A joined the military.
If the goal was space, he could have chosen another profession other than being a soldier, but at that time, A chose to be a soldier. Siera couldn’t just let him go alone due to his curiosity about space, and she followed him to become a soldier as well.
Did he become a soldier for such innocent reasons? A often clashed with people, and most of those he clashed with were soldiers with a sense of responsibility.
Although Angelique knew this about A, she couldn’t simply say he had problems.
While it was true that he became a soldier despite having reasons unrelated to being a soldier, A did his best in his responsibilities and didn’t look down on the profession of being a soldier.
It seemed more appropriate to view it as a difference in how individuals perceive their own identity rather than a fundamental difference.
“Really, Captain. Your ability to organize things is terrible, isn’t it?”
“Still, it’s not as bad as last week, right?”
“What do you mean?”
A thought that going into a superior’s room for counseling wasn’t good, even if it was done without ulterior motives. Humans are adaptable creatures, after all. After visiting a few times under the pretense of counseling, he found himself adapting.
“I don’t want to talk about cleaning anymore. If we start talking about cleaning, I’ll end up doing the counseling.”
Though it wasn’t something he wanted to start, A realized that he was aware of his conflicts with his fellow soldiers. He thought that his superior, Angelique, must have called him because she judged that there was clearly a problem, and he spent time talking with her.
There wasn’t much improvement. Though it was called counseling, what A did when meeting with Angelique was mainly telling her about his conflicts with his fellow soldiers and what he did each day.
“How’s the training preparation? Going well?”
“I’ve been talking with my fellow soldiers.”
“Are you really doing it?”
“It’s more like Siera is talking to me.”
The unit was preparing for a large-scale training, and as a soldier, A needed to prepare for it. It was crucial to create a manual for responding to training situations, but he couldn’t collaborate smoothly with his fellow soldiers on this task.
Even though talking would solve most issues, their relationship was strained due to numerous arguments, so whenever they spoke, it didn’t lead to positive outcomes.
“Another fight with Klugger?”
“…”
A couldn’t respond. As she said, he had a conflict with his fellow soldier Klugger, and as usual, Siera helped him out.
“What did you discuss?”
“We were reviewing the manual when a situation arose where we had to protect the target. Whether rescue or operation should take priority.”
“What were your opinions?”
“I said rescue should take priority, but Klugger insisted that operations should always come first…”
“So you fought?”
“…Yes.”
Angelique smiled, thinking it was understandable given the circumstances, as she listened to A’s soft response.
“In principle, rescue and protection are primary, but Klugger might have considered the situation of the operation.”
Whether the purpose changes or not depends on the operation. Angelique understood A and Klugger’s feelings because she had experienced unexpected situations during operations.
“Because of that, when we try to talk, it starts off confrontationally, so we can’t really talk.”
With two stubborn people meeting, it was difficult for their relationship to easily return to normal.
As a superior, Angelique pondered how to resolve the situation of her subordinates. She wanted to help them have a full conversation while remaining neutral.
“First, think deeply about the purpose of the operation. Then consider the actions required to achieve that purpose. While you understand Klugger’s differing opinion, in real combat, you can’t say ‘We failed because of differing opinions.'”
Despite her gentle tone, Angelique’s words deeply resonated with A. She conveyed the idea that as a soldier, he should consider his position.
“Yes. I’ll try my best.”
“I’ll convey this to Klugger too. Don’t just worry alone.”
Sitting on the sofa, A responded softly, feeling somewhat scolded, and Angelique continued to stroke his head with a smile.
“I think you can handle it, A. I’ll expect great things from you next training. Does that make you feel too pressured?”
“Yes. It feels very pressured.”
He felt discouraged, yet he spoke honestly. Seeing this, Angelique felt relieved. Despite his current struggles and confusion, she believed he could overcome them.
However, A didn’t fully grasp the significance of Angelique’s advice.
“Why aren’t you considering the possibility of encountering civilians who couldn’t evacuate from a destroyed civilian area during the operation?”
Without raising his voice, he expressed his frustration calmly. Klugger sighed deeply and looked at him.
“The basic principle is to evacuate civilians before a conflict arises in a civilian area. Do you have evidence that anyone encountered will definitely be a civilian?”
“If we are too cautious, we might fail to rescue someone. If we follow your logic, we’ll miss the right moment to take proper action.”
“The measures depend on the operation’s objective. If it’s a rescue mission, rescue takes priority, but if the objective is different, the objective should take precedence. In that process, if civilians are discovered, they should be treated as targets.”
“Shouldn’t we review cases where rescues weren’t made in similar situations?”
“Making generalizations from specific cases means no operation can be carried out!”
Neither side was entirely wrong, but for creating manuals for unit-specific training, a clear resolution was necessary.
However, both held firm to their opinions.
“Let’s stop here today.”
Seeing no sign of improvement, one of the fellow soldiers sitting suggested ending the day’s schedule. Everyone agreed, and A, sighing, packed his bag and left.
Outside, A stared blankly at the sky before sitting on a nearby bench. Soon, the black-haired woman from headquarters noticed him and approached.
“Isn’t it tiring fighting every day?”
Hearing Siera, A couldn’t manage his expression and looked away.
Just moments ago, he remembered what Angelique had said about reflecting on the purpose. He wondered if he had truly reflected on his purpose.
Angelique’s advice to reflect on the purpose meant narrowing the gap in opinions by considering others’ perspectives. A understood her intention.
But he couldn’t do it. Perhaps it would be better to say he hadn’t tried.
While grateful for Angelique’s advice, he questioned whether he was truly listening to it.
“…Where have you been lately? Not seen much outside of work.”
“Do I have to report where I go every day?”
Though he doesn’t think much before acting, he isn’t irrational.
Though close to Siera, he couldn’t tell her about his counseling sessions with Angelique. Even though it seemed trivial, it involved entering a female superior’s room.
“You wouldn’t say anything if you didn’t hear from me.”
“When would I need to contact you? There’s nothing to do after work anyway.”
“It’s because of training. Sometimes your opinion is needed.”
“Talking to someone who won’t listen doesn’t help.”
Siera glared at A with a blunt expression, and he turned away from her sharp gaze.
When their eyes met, A realized he had spoken carelessly.
“It’s because I’ve been thinking a lot about something lately.”
“What is it? If you’re worried, you can tell me. I’ll listen.”
“It’s nothing. I’m just wondering if there’s a problem with my personality.”
“You’ve been like this since training school.”
“But it’s more noticeable lately.”
Siera wasn’t unaware of A’s concerns. She was the closest to see A’s interactions and was the one most worried when he clashed with others.
Though concerned about the situation, seeing A not taking it seriously, she thought it wasn’t a big issue.
But she worried that A might have problems in his interpersonal relationships.
“Since training school, you haven’t gotten along well with Klugger.”
“Now that we’re in the same unit, it’d be better to resolve things somehow.”
When A and Klugger got along, the person who didn’t feel stressed was Siera. Though they had known each other for a long time, she couldn’t ignore Klugger, who came from the same training school.
As a fellow soldier, she hoped their relationship would improve, and if it did, it might become reality.
“Should I ask the captain?”
Siera didn’t know that A had counseling sessions with Angelique. Without knowing this, she suggested counseling with Angelique, and A concluded that continuing conversations with the captain was a good idea.
Though he had listened to Angelique’s advice, he hadn’t deeply internalized it. Perhaps Angelique couldn’t be more direct because of his actions.
“Alright.”
“Where are you going now?”
“I thought we’d finally have a chat.”
Rising abruptly, A said he was going to see Angelique, and Siera showed disappointment that their conversation had ended so soon.
Though he still planned to see Angelique, A didn’t ignore Siera, who had listened to his concerns.
“Let’s have a drink tonight.”
“…Alright.”
When A suggested dinner, Siera nodded slightly, her face slightly red.
In essence, nothing had changed. Siera didn’t know that A had counseling sessions with Angelique.
However, since it wasn’t A who initiated the counseling, he tended to take conversations with Angelique lightly. He didn’t show it outwardly and felt grateful for Angelique’s time.
But hearing Siera suggest talking to the captain, he realized that merely accepting her advice wasn’t enough. He needed to seriously seek more concrete advice to find a solution.
“Captain!”
Without knocking, A entered the office, startling Angelique who was working.
“Hmm? A, what’s up?”
“I want to learn how to get along better with others.”
Surprised by A’s sudden visit, Angelique was even more surprised by his request.
Though A had heard Angelique’s advice, he didn’t seem eager to implement it.
Above all, since the counseling started because Angelique took interest in A, it was difficult to have deeper conversations with him.
As a superior, she could set the atmosphere, but she wasn’t the type to give harsh commands. Since the counseling was self-initiated, she avoided making critical remarks.
Yet, A directly stated his desire to resolve the current situation.
Not knowing the reason for this change, Angelique saw it as a potential opportunity for her subordinates’ relationships to improve.
“Alright. Sit here.”
Angelique pulled out a chair and gestured for A to sit. A sat beside her, waiting for her to speak.
“First, listen to Klugger.”
“Huh?”
“Listen while I’m speaking. Listen to Klugger and others as well.”
A already had an idea of how he wanted to act. Seeing this as a good opportunity, Angelique paused her work and poured out her thoughts to A.
Thus, the scheduled training day arrived.
