An Aunt's Endless Generosity
True to her determination to do everything she could for her niece, Melanie opened her wallet without hesitation on this date. At the department store, whenever Freesia held up an outfit and asked, "Does this look good on me?" Melanie bought it instantly, without a second thought. Though Freesia's skin already looked porcelain-smooth and felt bouncy and elastic to the touch, Melanie still shoved an armful of exorbitant skincare sets on her, declaring that it simply wouldn't do. Then she complained that her outfit was far too light for the cold weather and promptly replaced everything from head to toe on the spot.
At first Freesia accepted the gifts with genuine gratitude. That lasted only a short while. The relentless barrage of presents soon left her looking utterly fed up. She protested that this was more than enough and that she couldn't possibly take any more back to the ship, but Melanie refused to listen. "Then I'll send them to your house, and you can wear them when you're on leave," her aunt declared, doubling down until she had assembled complete seasonal outfits for spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
It had been so long since Freesia last went shopping with her aunt that she'd forgotten what it was like. Once Melanie started, she wouldn't stop until every household item had been upgraded to the latest model.
The next morning, after finishing breakfast and saying goodbye to her aunt, Freesia stared at the mountain of deliveries piled up in the hotel room and could only stand there, stunned. How in the world was she supposed to deal with all this?
When she'd been in the middle of buying everything, Melanie had been on a roll, but now that the mountain of packages had actually arrived, she seemed to realize she might have gone slightly overboard. She subtly avoided Freesia's gaze and called for Viola. When Viola arrived moments later, she too froze at the sight of the towering pile of luggage, her expression blank.
Still, her years in the secretary's office hadn't been for nothing. Viola quickly and efficiently sorted the items into what Freesia would take with her and what would be sent home. In truth, aside from the cosmetics and a few casual outfits, nearly everything was destined for the house anyway.
Of all her aunt's gifts, the one Freesia liked most was the new terminal Melanie had prepared separately. On the outside it looked identical to the one she already used, but the internals were completely different. It was a one-off custom model built on the framework of the next-generation terminal due to launch soon. Produced exclusively for key WeaverLane Group executives—including Melanie—it was a specialized device impossible to obtain on the open market.
Its superior performance meant higher output for the circuit magic channeled through it, along with the ability to run far more spells simultaneously. It also contained the highest-grade protective shield circuit, found only in the terminals of Loctis, Melanie, Michael, and other top-tier executives, plus emergency space-leap and healing circuits.
Because Freesia officially had no connection to WeaverLane, Melanie had gone to considerable trouble to prepare these exclusive terminals in secret at regular intervals. Of course, for Freesia's safety she would have done far more if necessary.
In the end, what remained in Freesia's possession were the cosmetics, a few changes of clothes, the new terminal, and the scarf wrapped around her neck. The rest of the mountain was shipped to the house in Ariel, and Melanie's pleas were ignored as a few items were quietly refunded.
Melanie lingered until the very last moment, as though trying to memorize every detail of Freesia's face, but she was eventually all but shoved into the car by Secretary-General Daniel and whisked away. Even if her schedule had opened up, she wouldn't have had enough free time to devote an entire day as she had yesterday. Having forced the time for this date with Freesia, she would clearly face an unrelenting workload with barely a moment to breathe once she returned.
With her aunt gone back to the company and no acquaintances in Binsre, Freesia pondered how to spend the remaining time. Deciding to buy gifts for the orderlies who always worked so hard, she headed to the department store once more—this time determined to enjoy some leisurely window shopping.
"Hey everyone, want to go out for something delicious tonight?"
At Daisy's sudden suggestion for a dinner outing, the orderlies who had been rolling around on their beds all looked up at once, as if wondering where that had come from.
Delicious food was always welcome. The question was where the money would come from. Everything at the supply port was expensive. Without an orbital elevator, the distribution costs to bring supplies this far inevitably drove prices up.
Because of that, the few franchise chains that had opened here to build brand recognition kept prices close to ground level, but most other restaurants charged more than they did planetside. Even at those high prices, soldiers sick of military rations packed the places—but that was simply because there were so many soldiers. Individually, most didn't visit often.
For the orderlies, who were still mere enlisted personnel, eating out even a couple of times a month was a burden. Suggesting they go out for something delicious when even a simple meal felt expensive was...
"Will you be treating us, Chief?"
It was a polite way of saying they had no money and therefore couldn't go. The answer, however, was completely unexpected.
"Of course."
Daisy's confident declaration, delivered with her chest puffed out, left the other orderlies wide-eyed.
There were six members in the orderly room, including Daisy. Even if they went to an ordinary franchise hamburger place and ordered only set meals, the bill would easily surpass seventy thousand crones. If they chose something truly good, a hundred thousand was the baseline, and a big night could easily hit two hundred thousand.
"Chief, you really don't have to overdo it."
Her salary was better than theirs as enlisted soldiers, but a staff sergeant's pay was still what it was. A non-commissioned officer's salary only started climbing meaningfully from sergeant rank. Besides, aside from overtime pay, Daisy received almost no additional allowances as an orderly. They appreciated her generous spirit, but they weren't desperate enough to take advantage of their superior's limited means.
After all, the young battalion commander they served had seemingly bottomless wealth and was always saying "It's fine, it's fine" while feeding them every kind of snack imaginable. Even now, the storage cabinet in the corner of the orderly room was packed with treats, and the refrigerator overflowed with drinks. Just the weekend before last she had dragged them all out and treated them to pasta. Long live the battalion commander!
"Hehe. Do you know what this is?"
Daisy pulled out her military terminal and displayed the payment code in large, clear figures.
"This is the unit operating fund allocated to the senior orderly!"
Squad leaders, platoon leaders, or commanders of small companies—and heads of small organizations like the orderly room—received these funds to purchase miscellaneous supplies or cover meals for unit members.
The 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion's orderly room received ten thousand crones per person per month. For six people that meant sixty thousand monthly, and with three months since the unit's formation, one hundred eighty thousand crones had accumulated.
That alone was plenty, and with a little extra they could afford expensive food they normally wouldn't even dream of eating.
"Oh! The unit operating fund. I completely forgot about that."
They had been on asteroid belt duty before, then spent all their time attending to Freesia during her overtime shifts after arriving at the supply port. Still, as a proper platoon-level department, they naturally had access to the fund.
"Normally we'd use it for snacks and such, but since we never needed to, it just kept piling up. If we leave it untouched too long the higher-ups will complain, so let's use this chance for a proper dinner."
In truth, unit operating funds rarely accumulated like this. Depending on the unit, the standard was around seven thousand crones per person, up to fifteen thousand at most. That amount usually vanished after buying a few supplies and some shared snacks.
But thanks to the battalion commander's boundless generosity, the orderly room had lived in abundance, allowing the fund to grow untouched until it reached this amount.
"So, does anyone have something they really want to eat?"
When Daisy asked, Private Vania—the youngest in the room—shot her hand into the air.
"Yes, youngest. What do you want?"
"There's a new fondue place that just opened nearby. They have fondue bourguignonne. Could we try that?"
The unfamiliar name made the others tilt their heads. A few impatient ones had already pulled out their terminals to search.
"I'm not familiar with it—what kind of dish is that?"
Fondue itself was well-known: melted cheese used as a dip for various items. But the usual accompaniments of bread or potatoes, combined with the strong flavor of sticky cheese, made it seem less than ideal for a group meal.
"It's a dish I ate often back home. Instead of cheese, they use oil to fry meat and other ingredients on the spot."
When Vania played the video, it showed various cubed ingredients being dropped into bubbling oil, instantly fried, then dipped in an array of sauces. The sight looked surprisingly appetizing.
"Looks like the youngest is craving her hometown food. Is everyone okay with this?"
Daisy looked around, but no objections arose. The kind youngest had requested it, and the visuals didn't seem polarizing. Besides, what soldier disliked meat?
"Then shall we head out now?"
It was still a little early, but dinner time was approaching and they had nothing else to do. The orderlies quickly got ready and headed for the restaurant Vania recommended.
Among soldiers, there was a saying: "When things get tough, lean on meat." "Family might betray you, but meat never will."
It circulated more among the lower ranks than the high officers, but as the orderlies bit into the juicy, freshly fried meat, they decided the saying was absolutely correct.
Daisy chewed on perfectly fried rabbit meat, one hand cupping her cheek. How could anything taste this good? They said anything was delicious when fried—even shoes—but fresh meat had to be on another level. Without batter, the pure, unadulterated flavor of the meat created a uniquely clean richness.
"This is insane. Insane. I can't believe I didn't know about this until now. I've wasted half my life."
"Youngest, I love you. Big sis will take such good care of you from now on."
Thanks to her choice, Vania basked in the affection of all five seniors. Sergeant Yulia, who was especially close to her, hugged her tightly and even fed her bites directly.
"Next, how about turkey? Let's order more beer too."
The first round of beer had already been drained. With all the fried meat as perfect drinking food, the beer disappeared effortlessly.
"Youngest, any beer recommendations?"
Daisy enlarged the menu and passed it to Vania, who studied it briefly before ordering six glasses of the same brew with a satisfied nod.
"This one. Kvares pairs really well with turkey."
Soon the additional turkey arrived, accompanied by the recommended beer. The orderlies squealed with delight as they ate and drank with abandon. The budget went a little over, but it was such a joyful time that no one cared.
"Hic!"
After the cheerful gathering ended, Vania kept hiccuping—probably from all the attention and drinks she'd received from her seniors. The others found even that adorable and kept patting her head.
"When we get back, hic! I should get some sobering medicine from the military doctor, hic!"
Was that really necessary? She wasn't even properly drunk—just a bit of beer during a weekend squad dinner. But Vania's next words drained the happy flush from every face in the room, turning them ghostly pale.
"The battalion commander is coming back, hic! I can't keep hiccuping like this, hic!"
"The battalion commander!"
With a cry that was nearly a scream, they reflexively checked the time. Six thirty. What time had the commander said she would return? She left Binsre at six, so...
They had only thirty minutes until Freesia arrived at the supply port.
"F-first, all of you return immediately. Make sure Vania takes the sobering medicine as soon as you get back."
"What about you, Chief?"
"I have to go greet the battalion commander."
"In that state?"
She had a point. They were still in uniform, but their clothes reeked of meat and frying oil. Daisy hadn't drunk much, but Freesia's sensitive nose would surely notice.
"M-maybe we should just not go?"
Technically there was no requirement for an orderly who wasn't on guard duty to greet the commander after leave, but... they had gone to see her off yesterday. Skipping the welcome after doing the farewell—especially after a dinner involving alcohol—simply wasn't an option.
In the end, Daisy opened her terminal and purchased a one-time clear magic from the convenience spells. Farewell, fifty thousand crones of her hard-earned money. The magic activated instantly, sweeping away every lingering odor and replacing it with a pleasant lavender scent. The certification mark glowed with obnoxious cheerfulness.
Haha. Guess I don't need to shower today.
"See you in a bit!"
As Daisy sprinted toward the shuttle station, she spotted the sign she wanted and burst through the door with enough force to nearly break it.
"Mister! Sobering medicine! The strongest you've got!"