"Phew..."
Even if you hang the clock upside down, the military clock still ticks.
It was a saying I heard from my father back in my past life when I was drafted.
The phrase held the desperate longing of soldiers, a hope to survive the grueling reality of service and eventually reach the day of discharge.
The reason that phrase came to mind now was simple: the situation unfolding before me was just as exhausting as my time in the military.
Honestly, I found myself wondering if it wouldn't be better to just grab Bronya and Bronie and disappear from Schicksal HQ entirely. Maybe we could just go off the grid.
But after hearing Bianca's words, I knew better than anyone that such a plan was nothing more than a fantasy.
Even if I did manage to go into hiding, they would be forced to find me—because that was how the future was already written.
"Wah?!"
"What's a young man like you doing, sighing your life away like that?"
I felt a sudden chill against the back of my neck. Startled, I whipped my head around to find a girl who looked no older than twelve standing there, holding a soda can with a mischievous grin.
A newcomer might find it strange to see a child wandering through Schicksal's high-security facilities instead of the residential zones.
While Overseer Theresa recently enacted a law requiring most candidates to graduate from the Valkyrie Academy first, there were still exceptions—cases like Bianca, where a prodigy passes the combat exams and enters active service early.
But this girl beside me was different.
In fact, anyone who knew her true identity would immediately snap to attention and offer a formal salute.
Because this girl—no, this woman—was...
"Keep sighing like that and you'll chase away all your luck, you know?"
"Aunt Theresa."
She was Theresa Apocalypse, the Overseer of Schicksal.
"So, why the long face?"
"...I just have a lot on my mind."
Theresa handed me one of the cans she was carrying and took a seat next to me. I couldn't help but offer a bitter smile.
Partly because she was the reason I had one more thing to worry about.
I looked at the can. Bitter Melon juice.
I appreciated the gesture, but within the entirety of Schicksal, Theresa was likely the only person who actually enjoyed the taste of this stuff.
Still, out of respect for the Overseer's kindness, I couldn't just refuse. I cracked the tab and took a sip.
...The taste was a perfect metaphor for my life right now.
"Is it because of your marriage to Bianca and Kiana?"
"Pfft—! *Cough, cough!"
"Whoa! Captain, are you okay?!"
I nearly choked on the drink. Theresa had a sly, devious smirk on her face, catching me completely off guard.
How did she know about that?
Actually, if I thought about it, the mother of those two sisters—my future mother-in-law—was Theresa's best friend.
Wait... does that mean...?
"Cough*... Aunt Theresa."
"Yeah? Are you sure you're okay, Captain?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Cough. But I have to ask."
"Ask what?"
"Did you know about Bianca's situation this whole time?"
"U-Uh..."
The moment she averted her eyes with a suspicious, shifty look, my face clouded over.
I knew it. She was in on it, too.
It would have been more surprising if she didn't know, considering her history with Cecilia Schariac.
But still, would it have killed her to drop a hint? If I'd had even a subtle heads-up, I could have prepared for this mess. Why did she stay silent?
...Then again, thinking rationally, whether I knew early or late, this outcome was probably inevitable.
Even so, I felt a pang of disappointment. Someone I'd known for years in Schicksal had kept something so life-altering from me.
I suppose I understood her caution; a secret like this had the power to tear a family apart.
"I'm sorry, Captain. I didn't keep it from you out of malice."
"...I know. You were worried about our family, weren't you?"
"...Yeah. Still, I'm sorry. I should have told you, but after seeing Bronya's condition, I just couldn't bring myself to do it."
"Ah."
I nodded slowly.
My wife's mental state back then had been fragile, to say the least.
She had seemed perpetually anxious, as if something were hunting her. It wasn't until after we married and Bronie was born that she finally found peace.
Even now, she's taking the idea of a polygamous marriage surprisingly well, but if she had discovered the truth back then? Nothing good would have come of it.
"By the way, Aunt Theresa, why are you out here?"
Shouldn't she be working at this hour?
I knew her schedule well, having worked alongside her for a year at her request.
I remembered her clutching her head as paperwork piled up faster than she could sign it. Even when she caught up, a fresh mountain of documents would arrive, resulting in a permanent net-zero of progress.
Theresa caught the meaning behind my question and took a swig of her bitter melon juice with a wry smile.
"Well, Amber told me to get out."
"What? Did you finally get kicked out of the Overseer's seat?"
I teased her, acting as if I had expected this day to come. A four-way vein popped on Theresa's forehead, though her smile remained.
Sensing danger, I tried to scoot back, but she was faster. She grabbed both of my cheeks and began to pull them outward with surprising force.
"NO. I. DIDN'T."
"I-I'm so-rry!"
Mercy! Mercy!
Feeling that signature Herculean strength that defied her appearance, I surrendered immediately. Theresa let out a sigh and let go.
Gosh... did my jaw just detach?
"She just said she was worried I was overworking myself. She told me to go take a break."
"...Amber said that?"
"Yes. I can see what you're thinking just by looking at your eyes."
Was I that transparent?
But anyone who knew Amber would find it ironic.
Maybe it was a side effect of being raised by Otto Apocalypse, but Amber was the textbook definition of a workaholic.
She was the type to keep working until someone physically dragged her away; if anything, she was the one who needed a vacation.
"She told me she was fine and that I should enjoy some rest. But honestly, how could I relax knowing she's doing everything?"
"So she literally locked you out."
"Exactly. She told me I'm barred from entering the office today no matter what. The nerve, coming from her."
Theresa looked toward the Overseer's office with a complicated expression. I gave a strained laugh.
Knowing Amber, if she said she was barring entry, she meant it.
"So, suddenly left with nothing to do, you wandered around until you spotted me looking depressed, and decided to bring over some drinks to check on me?"
"...You know your deductions are actually kind of creepy sometimes?"
"Given your reaction, I'll take that as a 'yes.'"
Theresa looked fed up, but honestly, it didn't take a genius.
Having spent a year observing the dynamic between her and Amber—their habits, personalities, and tendencies—it was easy to piece together.
They cared about each other so much that they were practically predictable.
"So, what's the plan?"
"Mmm, I don't know. I didn't plan for a sudden vacation. I was just walking aimlessly until I saw you."
"I see."
"What about you? Bronya's at work today, so you're on 'daddy duty' with Bronie, right?"
"No, Bronie is with her maternal grandparents. They wanted me to have some alone time to clear my head."
"So you're on a 'forced vacation' too, then?"
I nodded.
That was exactly it.
Usually, I'd be at home doing chores until Bronie came back, but they practically shoved me out the door and told me to get my thoughts in order.
That was why I had been wandering the halls before ending up on this bench.
"Hmm~ In that case, should we misfits hang out together?"
"Oh, sure. But what should we do?"
"Let's see..."
Theresa pondered for a moment. Then, as if a lightbulb had gone off, she let out an 'Ah!' and slapped her palm with her fist.
"Do you want to come over to my place?"
...Come again?