Thirteen and Sherry parted ways after they arrived at the headquarters of the Central Government. Sherry brought the girls to the temporary barracks of the 69th Battalion, while Thirteen went to look for Tristan.
He needed a permit to bring unauthorized personnel inside the headquarters.
Given the army's protocol of running a background check on anyone, it was only a matter of time before they found out that Stella, Siri, Maple, and Cinnamon weren't registered in any of their records.
That said, Thirteen needed an excuse to handle this situation. Before meeting with the Field Marshal of the Central Government, he had already prepared something.
"Excuse me, can you please repeat that?" Tristan looked at the teenage boy with amusement.
"Like I said, the four girls who will become the temporary members of the 69th Battalion are my dad's uncle's cousin's wife's stepbrother's ex-girlfriend's nephew's best friend's sister's twin's neighbor's mom's hairdresser's daughter's classmate's childhood friend's…
"Babysitter's niece's piano teacher's little sister's mutual cousin's ex-roommate's stepsister's dog trainer's daughter's volleyball teammate's older brother's prom date's best friend's…
"Aunt's yoga instructor's dentist's receptionist's little cousin's dorm mate's childhood pen pal's ex's little sisters. In short, they're relatives of the Leventis Family. Since their identities are a bit complicated, they are not registered anywhere."
Tristan scratched his head and asked the guards at the gates to send him the pictures of the four girls Zion had brought with him.
The Field Marshal then ran a scan to check if the girls had some records in their data banks. And just as Thirteen expected, the results came out blank.
Tristan eyed the teenage boy, who looked back at him with an innocent smile.
Although this wasn't the first time they met people who didn't have any personal records in the military's data banks, those people were far and few in between.
"They're your responsibility, okay?" Tristan said. "If they do something that will hurt the prestige of the military, I will be looking for you, understand?"
"Yes, Sir," Thirteen replied.
Tristan nodded. "I can accept Stella and Siri. But these two little girls, Maple and Cinnamon… they're too young to be in the military."
"About that, Sir, I think having them in the military is a good thing," Thirteen replied.
"Oh? And why do you think so?" Tristan inquired.
"We can just say that both of them are orphans from a remote village on the continent and the military had saved them," Thirteen replied. "Since they have nowhere to go, we decided to raise them ourselves.
"Also, since they are in my battalion, they will practically be the mascots of the military. It will also make people want to join our cause because we are protecting the seeds of the future generation."
Tristan pondered a bit before looking at the two adorable girls in the projection.
Just looking at them made him remember the days when Rianna and Shana were still young, making him feel the need to protect them.
"Fine," Tristan answered. "Make them wear something appropriate, okay?"
"Of course," Thirteen replied.
"Allow me to introduce the temporary members of our 69th Battalion," Thirteen said. "This is Stella Von Ainsworth, Maple Von Ainsworth, Cinnamon Von Ainsworth, and Siri Ashvale."
The soldiers looked at the four girls with genuine interest. Stella and Siri were undoubtedly stunning in their white military uniform, which were similar to what Sherry wore.
They were, without a doubt, top beauties. Some of the Soldiers even felt like spring had come to their life, an opinion which they kept as a secret in their hearts.
Maple and Cinnamon, on the other hand, wore white Sailor Navy Uniforms with pink ribbons tied on their chest area, matching the color of their hair.
The two looked absolutely adorable, making some of the soldiers feel as if their hearts were melting due to how cute they were.
"Let's all get along, big brothers and sisters!" Maple said, giving a playful salute to the soldiers.
"Cinnamon wishes to get along with everyone!" Cinnamon also gave a salute, making the soldiers salute them back.
Even Hugo, who looked serious most of the time, couldn't help but feel overprotective of the two adorable girls, who were now part of their battalion.
Thirteen then cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention.
"In order to make these four ladies at home, I decided to hold a simple celebration," Thirteen said. "Just remember that we will be leaving the base tomorrow at noon, so make sure to do things in moderation and take a proper rest.
After making his announcement, Thirteen took everyone to an open area in the base that was part of the 69th Battalion's temporary barracks.
Thirteen had ordered food to be delivered in the military, so everyone could enjoy eating to their fullest before once again heading to the battlefield.
And, just like he expected, the four girls became the stars of the show.
"What qualities are you looking for in a man?" Penny Tration asked Siri with a suave smile on his face.
"Someone stronger than me, of course," Siri replied. "I will not accept anyone weaker than me as my mate."
"Hoh… so what kind of strength are you talking about?" Penny inquired. "Physical strength, mental strength, spiritual strength, or would you prefer a rock-solid commitment. That can break through any defenses."
Siri looked at Penny from head to foot before a smirk appeared on her face.
"You smell like a monkey in heat," Siri commented. "Are you making your move on me?"
"You don't have the qualifications to make me interested in you."
"Then how about we put it to the test?"
Penny then moved a distance away from the tables filled with food and took a boxing stance.
Clearly, he wanted to prove that his rock-solid commitment was indeed rock solid.
Siri sneered, but she played along with the young man, who seemed very confident of his strength.
Since he couldn't spar with Zion at the moment, she decided to test whether the man in front of her could back his words or if he was just all talk.
"I'm ready when you are," Siri said.
As soon as she said those words, Penny lunged at her with his fist still raised up in a boxer's stance.
The young man gave a jab, aiming at the young lady's shoulder as he didn't want to hit her chest or her face.
A moment later, Penny found himself lying on the ground, looking at the sky in a daze.
One moment, he was about to land a hit on the young lady's shoulder. The next, he was on the ground, enduring the pain of being hit by a truck.
"Since you showed consideration to me as a lady, I decided to reciprocate and not break any bones in your body," Siri said while looking down on the young man. "If you want me to seriously consider your qualifications, you should at least be able to beat Zion Leventis first."
Siri then walked away, leaving the young man still lying on the ground.
The soldiers brushed this incident aside. For them, it was just Penny and his usual antics with the ladies.
Alcapone and the E4 Mafia, on the other hand, were with Maple and Cinnamon, helping the girls fill their plates with food.
"Both of you eat a lot so you can grow big and strong," Alcapone said as he helped the girls carry their plates.
"Big Brother, I heard that the military lives on caffeine, energy drinks, protein bars, and donuts," Cinnamon said. "Is that true?"
"Do you like protein bars and donuts?" Alcapone asked.
"I love donuts," Cinnamon replied. "But I've never eaten protein bars before."
Alcapone looked at his men, who looked back at him as if they were soldiers ready to die on the battlefield.
"That's it. We are raiding the 41st Battalion's supply of protein bars and donuts before we leave tomorrow. Are you with me, men?!"
""Sir, Yes Sir!"" The E4 Mafia were specialists, so they knew how to get the job done when they really put their minds to it.
Thirteen, who overheard Alcapone's declaration, pretended not to hear anything and continued to observe the ladies as they interacted with the soldiers of the 69th Battalion.
Since the four of them would not stay forever with them, he needed to make them form strong bonds with the soldiers during their stay.
That way, the ladies would feel comfortable while traveling with them in the monster-infested lands of the Cygni Continent. After all, they would be traveling constantly as they pushed towards the East, leaving behind the comfort and security of the military base.
So, before all of that happened, Thirteen decided to hold a final feast and make their last day in the headquarters of the Central Government a memorable one.