I Became A Mech Soldier After Waking Up in The Future.

During the next training period, Jeanne really did what she said and didn't make trouble for Keiko again.

Despite their injuries being quickly healed thanks to Dr. Leah's treatment, Jeanne appeared less and less on the training ground.

Keiko didn't know what she was doing, and even though she appeared occasionally, she stopped paying attention to Keiko, as if they had become strangers.

This made the surrounding officers and soldiers suspicious that something wrong was going on.

Everybody knew that Keiko rescued Jeanne twice, so Jeanne shouldn't have given Keiko a cold shoulder. Could it be that the two have an argument?

They didn't dare ask Jeanne, so they all came to ask Keiko.

"Lieutenant, did you have a misunderstanding with Major Jeanne? Why is she ignoring you?"

Keiko wanted to cry without tears. Misunderstanding? It would be nice if it was something as simple as a misunderstanding.

The training was progressing very smoothly. Everyone had a better grasp of the formation under the new system. It was time for the Third Squadron to test their understanding using a real mecha.

On the seventh day of training, Keiko finally piloted a real mecha for the first time. Unlike the virtual system, the real mecha seemed to be much easier to control and not as sensitive.

Therefore, she was even more skillful in piloting her mecha; her movements became more agile, fast, and precise. If the officers and soldiers around her knew about the progress of her skills, they would've been scared to death by her.

One day during training, Keiko was suddenly summoned to Jeanne's office. Although she had no idea why Jeanne suddenly requested her presence after ignoring her for many days, Keiko still followed the order and came into Jeanne's office.

But before that, she returned to her dorm to have a quick shower. For some unknown reason, the thought of her getting sweaty and looking messy when meeting Jeanne made her feel slightly uncomfortable.

After finishing showering, she changed into her usual officer's combat attire and tied her long, cascading hair into a ponytail. She checked her appearance a few times in front of the mirror, and after she was satisfied, she exited her dorm and went to Jeanne's office.

Soon, she arrived in front of Jeanne's door. She was a little bit anxious and hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door.

"Pardon me, Ma'am. Cadet Keiko Lee requests permission to enter."

"Come in."

A voice as clear as the chirping of an Oriole came from inside the room. Keiko didn't dawdle and entered inside.

Jeanne sat gracefully on her chair while skimming through the stacks of documents in front of her. She was wearing the same green double-breasted style military uniform as the one she wore in the picture that Keiko saw the day she woke up in Sleipnir Base.

Her eyelashes were fluttering while her eyes stuck to the document in front of her, not looking at Keiko at all.

Keiko didn't mind her attitude and gave her a salute before asking.

"Is there anything you need from me, Major?"

Listening to Keiko's straightforward question, Jeanne slightly frowned, threw the document in her hand onto the table, and looked squarely at Keiko, "I know it. You still resent me after what happened at the training season several days ago."

Keiko nearly coughed in shock when she heard Jeanne's words.

'Don't you just keep avoiding me these days?! Why did it seem that I was the one who wronged you when it came from your mouth?'

'Nevermind, nevermind… I can't use ordinary people to predict this eldest lady's behavior. Just let her be…' Keiko silently gave herself a pat on the back while still keeping a poker face.

"No, no, no, I don't dare," Keiko shook her head hurriedly.

"You don't need to refute it," Jeanne retorted, "I know I've caused trouble for you a lot these days, and you even saved my life, so I'll give you an opportunity as compensation."

Keiko was taken back by Jeanne's proposal. She never expected that the proud and arrogant eldest miss would acknowledge her mistake. She didn't know how to reply because she was honestly not that bothered by the accident, more so after seeing the helpless and frightened expression on Jeanne's face at that time. She only hoped that this belligerent young lady wouldn't be so reckless anymore.

Keiko's expression turned serious and she solemnly said, "You really don't need to, Major. Honestly, I'm not bothered about what happened before. After all, there is always a chance to be injured—"

"Okay, enough!" Jeanne waved her hand and interrupted Keiko's speech. She lifted her chin, giving Keiko a sidelong glance, and then spoke in an overbearing manner, "Do I need your permission to reward you for saving my life? I'm only informing you, not seeking your opinion."

Keiko forcefully swallowed back her words just now. In the end, she nodded in agreement.

"Alright, I understand."

This was the daughter of Seven Star General Armstrong that she knew—domineering with the aura of a queen, wilful like a spoiled princess, but also authoritative like a seasoned general.

It was just that she had seen the other side of herself that people had never seen before. The angry expression she made when she'd thrown a tantrum after losing against her in the fighting match was especially cute.

So, Keiko just thought of her attitude as a grumpy cat that wanted to exert its dominance.

Her lips unknowingly curved upwardly into a smile.

"Why are you smiling? Are you thinking of something rude right now?" Jeanne squinted her beautiful eyes, glaring daggers at Keiko.

"No, no, how could I? It must be just your imagination, Major," Keiko lied without batting an eye.

"Hmph. Whatever!" Jeanne gave Keiko an angry glare before snorting coldly.

"Cough… Anyway, what kind of opportunity are you talking about, Major? Can you elaborate more?" Keiko quickly changed the topic to escape the awkward situation.

"What do you think us women gained when we forsook our ability to bear a child?"

"Hmm, isn't it physical strength?"

"Many people think so, but I don't think it's the case. If you looked at the statistics, although women's physical strength had been improving, it was still a little bit short compared to men," Jeanne grabbed a stack of papers from the table and put them in front of Keiko, which Keiko quickly skimmed one by one. While Keiko was still reading the document, Jeanne continued, "The real advantage of women's evolution is the improvement of their mental strength, which is one of the factors that affect the ability to control mecha. That's why if you look closer at the data of the whole Mecha Brigade, you'll find that the female to male ratio is close to 2:1. This is the reason why the higher positions in the Mecha Brigade are usually occupied by women."

After Keiko had finished reading through the document and placed it back on the table, she looked at Jeanne with a puzzled expression and said, "But.... What does this have to do with me?"