From the rooftop of the First Aerial’s headquarters, Aziz could see men and women make merry in the battalion squares. It was the first time he’d seen something like this, but again, today was the first time a battle had ended without any fatalities for Thunderbolt and Stardust. His mood darkened slightly as he thought about the now-disbanded Avalanche, but there was nothing he could do about that anymore. He’d fought for benefits to be granted to the families of the fallen, and the State Council had approved.

Those benefits he’d fought for weren’t just simple resources; they were entirely separate from the benefits agreed upon during the Conference of the Four. It guaranteed their families status and protection, a recognition of the sacrifices made by the fallen.

Taking out a canteen, Aziz downed the contents inside. A mild bitterness slipped down his throat, creating a burning sensation. A weak alcoholic scent lingered on the wind, one that would have made him frown on a normal day.

“Drinking while on the clock? Colonel, that’s not what I’d expect from you,” said a voice.

“Marshal Marie.” Aziz took out a canteen — it was one that was filled with water this time — and sipped at it. “Need anything from me?”

“Well, there are instructions from the brass,” said the marshal, who plopped down beside him. “Give me a drink first, though.”

“Instructions regarding Gaius?” Aziz asked, curious. “They didn’t seem all that eager to use his specialties, though.”

After the battle, they had gone over to the Guardian Barracks, intending to say hi. However, the kid had vanished within the depths of the huge place, and after ten or so minutes of looking around, Marie and Aziz gave up. The Guardian Barracks was a vast place with lots and lots of rooms; looking for someone without knowing his or her room was a futile endeavour.

There were many reasons why Aziz didn’t live in the Guardian Barracks; this was one of them.

“Apparently, his excuse was that he’d travelled all the way from the North to the Heaven-cleaving Fortress after hearing about the war, so he wanted to have a good nap first.” Marie chuckled. “He said that to everyone’s face too.”

“He’s a bold kid, I’ll give you that.”

“Enough about him, though.” Marie glanced at the revelry going on in the three battalion squares. “You’re not going to join in?”

“The mood would be dampened if I did,” said Aziz. “That’s just how it is.”

“With you perching on the rooftop like an eagle, you’ll dampen the mood anywhere you go,” said Marie. “Place a smile on your face. Stretch your lips! You’re their instructor and commander. If you look confident, everyone’s going to be confident. How long has it been since you last talked to anyone in the First Aerial?”

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She paused. “Other than me?”

Aziz, who was about to make use of that loophole, closed his mouth. He thought through his answer for a while, before looking up at the sky. “Three days.”

A smack landed on his head. “Three days? Are you insane? I’m impressed that we’re still a cohesive fighting force after such a lapse in communication!”

“Wait, wait!” Aziz held up his hand. “You got it wrong! I’ve been buried in paperwork for the past three days! I rarely have time to speak whenever I return to my office!”

The descending hand stopped.

“Besides,” Aziz continued, “the two of us don’t really need to issue orders anymore, right? We’ve given the commanders of both battalions their own discretion to perform on the battlefield and to make changes as necessary.”

“True, but you really need to speak more. I get a feeling you’ve grown less and less chatty over the past few years.” Marie sighed. “Come on, follow me down. We’re going to show our faces there and let them know that we approve of these celebrations.”

“Can I not?”

“It’s an order, colonel. Now get moving.” Marie’s gaze left a cold patch where it landed, and the colonel decided to obey her words. She had an Engine, after all, which put him at a massive disadvantage when it came to battle.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Leading the way, Aziz and Marie landed in Thunderbolt’s battalion square. A bonfire had been set up in its middle, even though it was just late afternoon, and people were squatting near it to roast meat and other food. Their sudden descent hadn’t drawn much in the way of attention, so the noise and drunken cheers continued on without pause.

“This doesn’t happen every day, right?” Marie asked.

“It doesn’t,” Aziz confirmed. “It seems that today is a day worthy of celebration, although I have no idea who came up with it.”

“The celebrations are alright,” Marie replied, “but alcohol is not. Drunken soldiers are more of a danger than demons, if you ask me. Draft some orders and make sure that both battalions know that alcohol is not allowed unless explicitly permitted by me or you.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Aziz looked around. “In that case…”

“We’ll let today slide, however.” Marie turned her gaze towards the bonfire, where a group of people were sitting around. “Man, aren’t they hot or something? Sitting around a blazing fire in the afternoon just to roast meat…sheesh.”

Aziz grunted, looking around for the officers. However, all of them were conspicuously absent.

“Odd,” said Marie. “Where are my officers?”

“Maybe they’re busy or something,” said Aziz. “Wouldn’t put it past them to be at work while everyone else is celebrating.”

“True. Let’s go check out Stardust first, then.”

Taking to the skies, the two left the battalion square without much fuss. Given that everyone here was capable of flying, their method of departure didn’t draw many eyes.

It didn’t take long before they arrived at Stardust’s battalion square, and Marie surveyed the scene. They couldn’t find any of the officers either, and after making a round around the place, the marshal gave up.

“Never mind. I’ll come another day. Right, Aziz, there’s actually another reason why I came to find you.”

“Hmm?”

“Remember that Exo-Skeleton project we helped in a few years ago? The first batches have arrived, and there’s two with our name on it.”

Aziz blinked. It was a really small episode that wasn’t all that worthy of mention, but any equipment was good equipment at this point in time. “I thought they shelved that project.”

“Can’t blame you for thinking that…”