Chapter 87 - Expanding Front
Two months have passed since my senior was transferred to the frontline and replaced by a new recruit.
Today, I'm traveling to a poorer high school, a hotbed for potential recruits.
Beside me is a new recruit assigned to me two months ago.
The recruit was a boy with a cute face, still quite youthful.
When I saw his face, I had a flash of inspiration.
(If I paired up with him, wouldn't I have a much better chance of success?)
I was very happy about that.
It was an extremely simple idea.
I would tackle the high school boys, and he would tackle the high school girls; it was an idea even a child could come up with.
I told him about the idea while he was reading through the manual, fear evident on his face.
When he heard my idea, his do gears drooped like an abandoned puppy, and he nodded.
As a result, he and I became partners.
It sounded simple enough in writing, but in reality, this was an extremely rare occurrence.
To start, the atmosphere in the recruiting office was very awkward.
This was because everyone was acting with the sole intention of achieving their quota.
Thus, the existence of those who would carelessly trample over others in the sole pursuit of achieving the quota appeared.
(If you think about it, my senior who was transferred to the frontlines was truly a goddess.
She always worried about me and cared for me in various ways…)
Well, maybe what I'm doing is similar to what she did in some ways…
By partnering with him, I had the great advantage of being able to "easily recruit high school girls."
And of course, he also received the advantage of being able to "learn various things from me" in addition to being able to "easily recruit high school boys."
Furthermore, together, we could cover a greater area than we would alone.
In addition to the area I was originally in charge of, we are now in charge of three areas alone: "the area my senior covered" and "the area given to new recruits."
As a result, we had achieved our quotas and were able to continue our relationship as partners.
Yes, we had built a mutually beneficial relationship.
I managed to achieve my quota again this month and brought the contract report to the director.
The best I could do was go to a bar with my partner and complain, then go home early to prepare for the next month's work.
However, on this day, the director said something that would seal my tragic fate.
"Your quota will be doubled starting the next month."
When I first heard these words, I couldn't understand what the director had said.
It was as if he was speaking in an alien language.
In response to my stunned face, the director repeated in a harsher tone,
"Didn't you hear me? I'll say it again.
Your quota will be double the current starting next month."
The moment my brain grasped the meaning of his words, my eyes went dark.
My feet began to wobble and shake like and earthquake, my vision distorted, and nausea welled up in me.
I held my ground the best I could to keep from collapsing, and somehow, I managed to twist the nausea within me into words and asked the director a question.
"What in the world is going on?"
To my question, the director replied in an exasperated voice.
"I don't give a sh*t! It's all up to the military high command!
All you guys have to do is shut up and meet your quotas!!! That's enough, back off!"
This was the last time.
The director replied once more, opened the newspaper, and sent me away.
I was flabbergasted, but there was nothing more I could do.
I had no choice but to walk unsteadily to the desk, where my smiling partner, unaware of the situation, was waiting for me.
I tried so desperately.
We
tried so hard.
We spent every waking hour, day in and day out, recruiting new recruits.
We used all the means available to us.
We bribed the best students.
We even spent the night with some high school boys who were having a hard time making up their minds to volunteer.
Sometimes we threatened them, sometimes we praised them, and sometimes we resorted to "other methods"…
Again, we used all the means available to us.
But we didn't reach our quota.
It wasn't just one or two people missing.
No matter how we calculated it, it was impossible to achieve that quota.
Even if we managed to get every student in the area to volunteer, it wouldn't have been enough.
After one or two months of failing the quota, it was decided in the third month that I would be sent to the frontline…
In the hanger of the unarmed transport, called a "mailbox" by the soldiers due to it's nearly cubic hull and the way it treated soldiers like luggage, I stand stunned.
As I gazed blankly at the battle golems lined up in the hangar, I thought to myself,
(We'll be at the frontlines in a few days.
We'll reach the front lines in a few days…
No… will we really arrive there safely?
Recently, I heard that the United Planet's Army abandoned the idea of decisive battles and switched to guerilla tactics.
As a result, it's been said that supply routes are being targeted by the United Planets, causing considerable damage.
If this is true, then this supply ship is no exception.
The only self-defense armament that exists is a few battle golems lined up in this hangar…
If we were to be attacked by the enemy, we would…)
I had a gloomy look on my face as I thought about this.
Then, someone tapped me on the shoulder.
When I turned around, there was a young white-haired man standing there.
He said, "Hello. Are you going to the front too?"
The young man uttered a light tone of greeting that seemed resigned and stood beside me.
"I can tell by the look around you," he said. "You have a dark aura around you. Maybe… are you a former recruiter?"
"…"
"Woah, that's spot on, isn't it?
Actually, I'm a former recruiter myself.
It's a tough job after all~!
No matter how hard you try, if you don't get results, you get sent to the frontlines.
If I knew this was how it was going to be, I would've just played around for three months~."
The young man laughed goofily and continued talking by himself.
I looked at him with jiter eyes.
"Oh? The way you look at me, you're probably thinking, 'What's this?'
Why's this guy so goofy when we're so close to being thrown into a warzone?
I'm just saying…
'It's okay, it's okay.'
We'll hardly ever have to die in battle again.
The reason is~… these guys!"
The young man pointed to the new, round-bodied battle golems, painted entirely blue, lining the hangars.
"These are the newest generation of battle golems." He said, pointing to a new type of golem with a rounded body, painted entirely blue.
"In fact, it's been said that one of these battle golems once destroyed an entire United Planets fleet.
Several such high-spec golems are mounted in this transport.
Even if the United Planets launched a surprise attack on this transport, it would be easily destroyed.
So don't worry.
Even if we are headed to the frontlines, there're a lot of these battle golems.
There's no way you're going to die in battle now."
The young man began to laugh as he spoke.
After this short laugh, he began a little more serious and began to whisper.
"This is just a rumor…
This battle golem… originally belonged to the United Planets.
It seems on a certain planet, a golem in its original form was wreaking havoc against the Earthen Army.
The Earthen Army recovered it, modified it, and succeeded in mass-producing it… this story has been circulating amongst us soldiers.
The truth of the rumor is uncertain, but…
I don't think the United Planets is capable of this kind of magic.
Besides…
I heard that a guy with some free time sent a spaceship looking for the planet where they supposedly recovered this thing, but they couldn't find anything.
The Earthen Army officially declared that no such planet has ever existed, but… well… it's suspicious."
The young man scurried around; his face grim.
"I'm sorry… I shouldn't talk about this…" he said, "It's just a rumor.
Oops, I've stayed here too long, it's almost time for me to leave.
See ya! Let's outlive each other! Goodbye!"
With that, the young man started running towards the hangar where small transport boats are lined up.
I then turned my gaze back to the battle golems lined up in the hangar.
(What is this, a high-performance battle golem…?
Perhaps it's their fault that the quota doubled.
Because they're so powerful, the Earthen Army must've greatly expanded their territories.
As a result, we, the recruiters, must have felt the squeeze.)
The battle golems lined up quietly, baring the pilot seats on their chests.
(Damn… Damn it! Damn it!
If it weren't for this guy, I would've been able to continue peacefully recruiting back on Earth!
What do you mean state-of-the-art! What do you mean high performance!
This guy! What the hell were you made to do!
To torment space-faring barbarians!
TO get innocent high school kids to volunteer for the Earth's army!?
Mass production of the poor! You're pushing so many people on Earth to the depths of poverty!
To separate me from my family and send me to the front lines!)
"What… is… the… purpose… of… this… thing…!"
I murmur in a whisper so no one can hear me and tears stream from my eyes in frustration.
After all this time…
Earth's forces continue to expand their front throughout the universe.
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