[......]
Destroyer: Damn it! They escaped... Those monsters suddenly acted as if they were going to commit a suicide attack!
All units cease fire! Return to the base and await for further orders!
I'll let you go this time, but the next time won't be so easy!
[......]
M99: ...With the help of the Commander, we broke through the Sangvis blockade.
We arrived at the human settlement two hours later and handed off the goods to the person in charge.
Of course, that recipient did not raise any objections to my “excuse” for the loss of goods.
It is an era of chaos after all, and those supplies are nothing to those who are relatively abundant.
However, we couldn’t escape Miss Helian's keen eye for detail...
[...Griffin HQ.]
Helian: M99, what’s going on here?
I checked the list of goods and there seems to be a small difference between when you received it and when you delivered it.
M99: Umm... I explained it to the person in charge there...
Helian: According to your report, this difference was lost in battle.
Yet, the packaging of the supplies in the photos seems to be in pristine condition...
I’m sure these supplies were well protected in battle, so I don’t think one box would inexplicably go missing...
M99: That’s... That’s because...
Helian: Lying is meaningless, you know.
I don't want to look through your neural cloud for this trivial matter...
M99: ...
(Although this is a trivial matter, a T-Doll such as myself still do not have the authority to lie to a superior...)
(Since we’ve come to this point... Sorry, everyone...)
I'm sorry, Miss Helian...
At the time, we weren’t able to find a safe resupply point with enough resources, and it would’ve been a very difficult for us to complete the mission on low supplies.
That’s why...
I——
[...Beep.]
[..Helian receives a call.]
Helian: ...Excuse me for a moment.
M99: (Quiet voice) ...ordered everyone to take from the cargo...
Helian: Hello? ...Go ahead...
Oh...is that so...
...I see, so it was a misunderstanding.
...That's alright, you don't need to apologize......No, she didn’t give me any trouble. We were just confirming a few things.
...Alright, please keep up the good work.
[...Call ended.]
Helian: M99, the Commander just called and told me...
Your team was critically low on supplies during the battle and you were ordered to open up the goods to use as emergency resupply, is that right?
M99: Huh?
Uh...that’s right...
Helian: Very well. That is an acceptable reason, but you should be honest in your report.
Only in this way will we be able to more suitably arrange and upgrade supply points and to prevent similar incidences in the future.
M99: I will be more careful next time. I’m terribly sorry for causing this issue...
Helian: On another note, your team did quite well in this mission.
Your team will be rewarded after we receive your evaluation from the settlement. Take this time to rest and recover.
[...One hour later, the team gathered outside.]
M99: Hawk, you roped the Commander into our lie, didn't you?
Type97S: Hey hey, you can’t call it a lie.
After all, we wouldn’t have the authority to touch the humans’ stuff if the Commander objected to it.
NZ75: Yup, that’s why the Commander is our accomplice now.
Type56-1: Chief, they already accepted the goods. Are you still feeling guilty?
M99: Phew... Not anymore.
Since the Commander helped us out, it'd be too senseless of me to ignore Commander’s goodwill.
Type97S: It's a real pity what happened to those persimmons... The soil here at Griffin’s base can't grow anything even remotely as beautiful...
Type56-1: The same goes for the pork... Its plumpness is engraved into my neural cloud...
M99: Hehe...
NZ75: What are you giggling about, Chief?
[M99 opens a container by her feet.]
M99: Guess what I’ve got~
Type56-1: Hey, isn't this...?!
Type97S: Meat and vegetables... Just like the stuff from earlier!
NZ75: Where did you get this from, Chief?!
M99: Huhu...well...
After learning that we finished the job on an empty stomach, the client gave this to me as a small token of appreciation before we left.
"Who can resist a cute T-Doll? A human deliveryman on the other hand would’ve surely been yelled at regardless of who’s fault it was!"
...Hawk reasoned as everyone carried the food to the cafeteria.
At this point, I finally realize why Helian sent me as team leader. It was all to give the client a better impression of Griffin.
I feel very honored to be a representative of Griffin, but one day I will prove my worth with my strength.
But today...I will enjoy the fruits of our labor.
I believe that as long as we work together, there is nothing that we can't do...
Type56-1: Oh, by the way, M99, don't forget to invite the Commander tonight.
Type97S: That’s right. It was a long and arduous road. We need to share the spoils of war with our comrade in arms!
But does anyone know what the Commander likes? If the Commander doesn’t like cilantro or Chinese onion...
M99: Yeah... I’m not sure what the Commander likes...
Which one of you wants to investigate?
NZ75: Speaking of investigation, I just heard some bad news, everyone. Very bad news...
Type64 is making her own Chinese sausages again...
Type56-1: What?!
M99: Huh? So...?
Type97S: Type64’s sweet Chinese sausages are salty! Is that even edible?!
Type56-1: Chief, you can’t even call them Chinese sausages. They're bacon in disguise!
M99: That’s... (I personally wouldn’t mind...)
NZ75: Moreover, those things seem to have won the love of the old fogeys like 56R and 59 recently...
Our situation is becoming more and more dire...
Type56-1: I’ll make it clear that at least on the stance of sweet sausages, I'm on your side!
We must unite together to resist the revival of capitalistic ideologies!
M99: W-Wait a minute, do you need to go that far...?
NZ75: Hawk, tell them you're making cola wings tonight. Have Type64 open the cans for you.
I guarantee her fingers will be bleeding all over within ten cans, and she’ll be stuck in the Repair Bay for the rest of the night!
M99: That’s backstabbing! Don’t do it!
Type56-1: It's called the people’s conflict resolution! I'm going to get a case from 92 right now!
M99: Hey, 56, stop right there! I won't let you have your way!
Type97S: Jeez, Chief...
Things don’t always go the way we want. Sometimes we can only accept that and move on.
M99: What are you even talking about!
You guys, stop right now!
Of course... Victory can only be achieved when we all work as one...
Perhaps next time I should listen to 64’s and 95's ideas...