Of course. They weren’t going to let someone like him slip through their grasp.
“…I see.”
Thinking about his future made my chest feel heavy. The knowledge that it was all my fault only made it worse.
“B-but listen!”
“I’m listening…”
Trying to make me feel better, he made his voice a little too cheerful.
I wanted to tell him that he didn’t have to fake it, but with everything that had happened, I couldn’t find the words.
“I’m not going in as a regular soldier. I’m enrolling in the military academy first!”
…Wait, what?
“The military academy…?”
Had I heard that right? Had he really said military and then academy right after?
He’d enlisted in the army, right? So why was he talking about going to school?
“Basically, it’s a school for training future officers. Graduates aren’t grunts—they’re treated as officer candidates. They even get a high school diploma. And that’s not all! Since the test piloting counts as military service, I’ll get paid just for attending!”
He explained everything with a proud, gentle smile, like he expected me to be confused.
To him, the “getting paid” part was probably the most important. From my standpoint, however, that didn’t matter one bit.
Yes, we needed money to survive, but between the two of us—a genius and someone who could keep up with one—we could make all the money we’d ever need. That wasn’t the issue.
The real benefit was that Keita would be going to school. And not just any school, but one for future officers rather than foot soldiers.
“…You’d be an officer candidate? That means you won’t be sent to die on the front lines?”
“Y-yeah.”
I had to double-check, just in case I’d misheard. Although it came out a little awkwardly, he said yes.
“Huh?”
As he told me more about it, I made a surprising discovery.
Keita had known he could resonate with magicite crystals, but it seemed like he hadn’t been aware of how unusually high his compatibility rating was compared with other people’s.
Actually, I doubt he knew even now.
He must have taken the same health checkups—tests, really—that I did…
Then it hit me. Those two people we called our parents had never told us any details. The only reason I knew was because I’d secretly read the reports. Without that, I wouldn’t have known about my own unique qualities, either.
Which meant Keita had managed to negotiate with the military without even understanding his full potential. Yep, that was my big brother for you. He wasn’t called a genius for nothing.
“Mechs are incredibly valuable, but the pilots who can actually control them are even more so. That’s why if a kid with aptitude wants to enlist, they usually send them to the academy first, to make sure they get the knowledge and survival skills they need.”
“H-huh…”
From what he said, it didn’t sound like he’d be a full-blown officer like a major or a general, but he wouldn’t be treated like a grunt, either.
Thank goodness. I couldn’t bear to watch him get chewed up and spat out on the battlefield.
I was finally starting to relax when he hit me with another piece of news.
“Also, since I’ll be attending the academy, I’ll have to live in the dorms they manage. I’ll be moving in there at the start of the new school year. And of course, you’ll come with me.”
“What? We’re moving?”
Even though we’d gotten this apartment through his negotiations with the military?
“Yeah. For security reasons and all that. It won’t affect your elementary school, since you’re graduating soon, but it will mean you’ll end up going to a different middle school than we originally planned.”
Security…? Maybe confidentiality was part of it. Or maybe they were just trying to avoid any more fights with the researchers. And middle school? Where would I end up?
“So I’ll go to a school near the new place?”
That was what usually happened, right? You moved house, and you ended up in a different school zone. Nothing strange about that. Unless the school had some weird rule?
But my genius brother—kind and thoughtful as he was—was worried about something completely different.
“Yeah. I’m sorry you’ll have to leave your friends behind, though…”
Friends?
“Well, I’m fine with it,” I answered without thinking.
What friends?
It wasn’t like I had any. Just boys who kept messing with me for no reason, and girls who got snippy and told me I was full of myself. Lately, I’d been dealing with boys trying to act all nice because my parents had died and girls trying to one-up me over it. To be honest, moving away from them sounded like heaven.
“…You are?”
But of course, I couldn’t tell my big brother any of that.
“Yeah. Well, because…”
“Because what?”
“I already figured we’d have to move when…you know, Mom and Dad died.”
“…Ah. Right. Yeah,” he said with a grimace.
I wasn’t sure what thoughts that had brought up, but seeing Keita’s expression left me flustered.
I wanted to comfort him, but at the same time, part of me was thinking how rare it was to get to see this side of my big brother. Before I could stop myself, I found myself staring at him, trying to hold on to the moment.
“All right! Then I’m counting on you to help with the move. I’m thinking we should do it right after your elementary school graduation.”
“Oh, right. Your middle school graduation is before mine. Got it. I’ll start packing.”
Having made up his mind, Keita had started planning the schedule. I couldn’t let him catch me gazing at him, though, so I’d hidden my face and pretended to think for a moment before answering.
“Thanks!”
Yes! He didn’t notice!
If he’d caught me smiling at his distress, it would have been game over. Thank goodness I’d covered it in time.
Since he was in such a good mood after that, we went out for dinner together.