The Admiral's Medal and the Cadet Academy
"Hmph... Is this really that impressive...?"
"Sigh... Why don't you take that thing and pay a visit to the assault squad yourself? They'll all lose their shit like uncles who just spotted their favorite idol."
Linda stripped off the maid outfit that stirred a man's imagination and followed me in a crisp black suit. Since this was personal shopping time during work hours, she'd come in comfy casual clothes hoping to slack off a bit, only to get shot down by Cleanston and now grumbling adorably. Her initial jeans and rough getup weren't bad, but having a beauty who filled out her clothes just right striding beside me in that sleek black suit was plenty satisfying. I couldn't help but smirk.
Who among my girls would rock a suit or uniform like that?
If I had to pick, Tier'd look the most like a proper bodyguard. Yeah, dogs just naturally scream 'loyal protector,' right? My head nodded on its own.
As I drank in Linda's figure and let my mind wander, she perked up like I'd hit on a topic she knew inside out and started chattering away.
"Normally, the medal's perks were just honorary stuff—like the President's personal conferral for prestige, plus monthly credits and free passes through national agencies' checks and accesses. But the Admiral changed that a bit."
"Why?"
"...Honestly, aren't you paying way too little attention to the Admiral...? I mean, he's your dad..."
"Skip that. Keep explaining."
"Ugh... Fine, it's obvious anyway. The Admiral started as a pilot, so he was away from the flagship a lot."
"I knew he was ex-pilot, but even after taking command of a ship, he still flew fighters? Then what?"
"Ah... That's not widely known to civilians, huh...?"
Just as I'd guessed, she was military-connected too, flashing an awkward smile and scratching her head. Not that outsiders like me could've accessed that info anyway.
"A-anyway! That's why only flag officers with their own ships or higher can receive the medal now. That's the system."
Her words made my gaze drop naturally to the small medal in my hand—a mix of gold and silver gleaming under the light. I'd gotten it from Cleanston while changing, aiming to milk every drop from the upcoming events and my "father's" background. At first, he played dumb like no such thing existed, but when Linda—now in her suit and clearly pissed—mentioned it, sweat poured off him as he recalled the details.
"What're the effects?"
"Well... Normally, it's like proxy rank authority from the wearer. But no one's gonna treat a medal-holder like their actual boss, so think of it as two or three ranks down?"
"Oh..."
Tilting her head, Linda's words suddenly made the medal feel heavier. If she was right, it wouldn't match my admiral dad's status, but it'd let me strut around with some real clout.
"Ah! Of course, since it's the Admiral's medal, it could drop you four or five ranks easy."
"Fuck."
"Heehee. What, planning to flash it at the officer academy and trash the place?"
She giggled at me like I'd lost a fun toy, her expression pure mischief. Honestly, since our destination was indeed the academy, my shoulders twitched involuntarily. Sure, we'd called it shopping, but you can't enjoy that till things stabilize, right?
Even if I don't wreck it, the story's about to turn it into a shitshow anyway...
After the last Pamryu world, I'd sworn to tweak time as little as possible, so this game's timeline was the standard start—right when the sequel's tutorial kicked off, following the original where young pilot-dad was the hero. Pilot clichés meant rookies like the protagonist jumping in fighters amid sudden war chaos.
Park Jisu had briefed me solid on the tutorial, so I breathed a quiet sigh of relief. But how much pandemonium does it take for a no-rank greenhorn to hijack a fighter? Those are straight-up military killing machines. Even in wartime neglect, busting past senior officers, heavy brass instructors, and TAs to reach the hangar? Like stealing stars from the night sky.
The game forced it for the tutorial, but after seeing devs twist the lore with wild setups, I pictured the chaotic day ahead, stroking my chin.
War's the main plot, so it weighs on me more than I thought...
Park Jisu mentioned the post-tutorial PV: protagonist amid ground ruins, fired up. Probably everyone left here dies or gets abandoned in the war.
Maybe Dad sensed the war brewing and bailed early today...?
I hadn't met him yet, so his skills were a mystery, but his status and the hype suggested he'd pop up later without me worrying. Normally, I'd ignore some old geezer's fate, but thinking of him as my status ticket stirred unearned filial piety, eyes even misting up.
"Wha—crying? Suddenly?!"
"Just thought of Mom outta nowhere."
"Huh...? Why her? She'd be with the Admiral..."
"..."
The mansion staff and that huge photo of a mom-like figure in the hall had me assuming odd-parent survival here, but now it felt awkwardly off-base.
Fuck. Knowing jack shit makes every word a minefield... Damn.
Linda eyed me like I'd lost my marbles for real as we picked up the pace toward the academy where the tutorial loomed.
"Young master, you sure you're not nuts? Vitals are all green... No, how can anyone's be this perfect...?"
She pounded her temples, cyborg eyes flashing red like a dog's, convinced that'd fix it. In this SF world, her rock-solid belief that smacking dog-eyes worked was impressively stubborn.
+++
"...For real...?"
"..."
"You said shopping!"
The massive cadet academy filling my view drew an involuntary gasp. Training fighter pilots meant entrance statues of fighters up to the rooftop, plus a midlife-crisis bronze dude saluting by the gate fountain—screaming "we've got money to burn."
Is this my old man...?
The tiny photo in Park Jisu's data binder didn't match this handsome midlife statue. I'd checked via personal device at the mansion, but realizing my customization had juiced his looks as my "son" made my lip curl.
He was the original game's protagonist, so stacked with talent, plus my side-effect buffs.
This bastard... No free rides in this world, huh...
Petty revenge bubbled up; my fist clenched the medal in my pocket. I'd toyed with NTRing his wife, but family peace was key to maxing my background. Hating that his admiral rank saved him from cucks felt right.
"Argh, seriously! Why here?! You really planning to flash that medal and wreck shop?"
"Think about it, Orange. A place like the academy has killer infrastructure—perfect starting point."
"What bullshit? Sure, infrastructure's top-notch, but it's all kid-geared... Skipping your usual fancy spots for this? Ugh."
She shook her head, radiating disapproval. Guess to her, this newbie-eyed wonderland looked babyish past infancy. To me, it was paradise. To me, it was a whole new world.