Shire has been particularly busy lately. He hasn't had a break since Christmas.
The reason is that the aerial battle situation on the front lines is uncertain, and air battles often occur suddenly and last briefly. If Shire were on leave at home, by the time he received the notification and arrived at the command center, the battle might already be over.
Every once in a while, Shire would mention this to Gallieni: "General, I want to know if all the leave days I've missed are being recorded."
Gallieni replied cryptically, "The New Year has already passed, Colonel!"
The New Year was the fifth day after Christmas. That day, Shire was busy in the command center, working from dawn till dusk.
Gallieni's comment implied that as soon as the New Year passed, Shire became an adult. As an adult and a colonel, it's normal not to have any holidays during wartime.
...
As the sky darkened and the city lights began to shine.
Shire had been busy all day organizing the air force.
