Overture(Part 1)At the break of dawn, the students were split into four groups, as instructed by the knights.
The knights from the fort joined, so that there were 4 knights in each group.
Wynn was out in the fourth group, while Locke was in the third, and Cornelia was in the second.
“What! All three of us are in different groups?”
“It can’t be helped. Since it seems that the division of groups was decided by our grades.”
Locke, who had seen the rosters of the groups, grumbled.
Wynn and Cornelia, though, were not even apprentice knights, but merely cadets.
It was natural for the groups to be divided.
The students gathered at their respective gathering place, while the knights in charge discussed their preparations.
When they finished, they joined their respective groups, then the groups would depart the fort towards the forest.
“Did you sleep well last night?”
Cornelia, who came from from the second group’s rendezvous point, called out to Wynn, who was waiting for their departure.
“Yes, I did. Since I am used to hard floors, there wasn’t any problem. How about you, Cornelia-san?”
“I have the special skill of being able to sleep anywhere.”[1]
“I’m so jealous of you…”
Many of the other students, on the other hand, were unable to get a wink of sleep the whole night, and had haggard expressions on their faces.
Most of those students were the n.o.bles and rich people, who were used to laying in soft beds, and so were unable to sleep well.
There was also the fact that they were nervous, but sleep deprivation starting on the first day would become part of the challenge of the mission.
Though virtually all of the students in Wynn’s group were in a similar state, for Wynn, it was somebody else’s problem. he was concerned about not holding the group back.
Either way, they would have to face monsters and demonic beasts.
It had nothing to do with the situation here. [2]
This was an aspect which practice didn’t have; They would risk their lives on this mission.
“Everybody on Wynn-kun’s side is in a similar situation…”
Seeing one of Wynn’s group-mates yawn, Cornelia murmured in an amazed tone.
“Even though they will soon be knights, they still feel like n.o.bles… Due to their lack of a sense of danger, it would be good if we didn’t pay a high price for it.
“Cornelia-san said a lot.”[?1?]
“There are various reasons…” [?2?] Wynn-kun should stay safe, and let’s both do our best!”
After waving her hand while smiling, Cornelia turned back to her group.
The second group’s knights had returned and given the a.s.sembly signal.
“Hey, there was a good atmosphere going wasn’t there?”
After seeing Cornelia off, this time, it was Locke who showed up.
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb. It’s about Cornelia-san.”
Locke patted Wynn’s shoulder while smirking.
“I heard the story about your practice match together, but I didn’t think it was to the point that you could talk with each other so easily.”
“… Is that so? Isn’t it normal?”
“If Leticia-sama saw this, what would she say, I wonder?”
“… …”
Wynn glared at Locke, who was snickering irresponsibly.
“I was just kidding. Well, if it’s you, you’ll be fine. Just don’t try to recklessly gain achievements.”
“Ah, of course.”
Locke’s face turned serious at those last words, then while waving his hands, he returned to his group.
‘He didn’t have to say that.’
Certainly, if he did well, it was a good chance to get a recommendation to become an apprentice knight.
But he had to be careful.
Picking up his bag stuffed with provisions and camping equipment, Wynn fired himself up.
The four knights in charge of Wynn’s group were walking.
“No need to wait anymore. Let’s go.”
At those words, they marched towards the forest together.
This was the subjugation mission’s overture. [3]
Together with the four knights, the fourth group finished their final check on their equipment, and then left the highway and walked towards the forest.
As they made their way through the narrow animal trails, the overgrown tree leaves blocked the sunlight, making it appear gloomy.
At first, they had set off in a good mood, chatting with each other, but slowly, the lively atmosphere was swallowed, and it fell silent.
As they marched towards the designated campsite, they carefully searched for the enemy.
As soon as a monster appears, they would subjugate it. And in the unlikely case that were none, they would return to the fort and meeting up with the other groups.
Unlike the highways and the school’s practice grounds, the path was muddy, and low-hanging tree branches, and animals blocked the way, and the path was steep and uneven, which wore on the students’ mental and physical strength.
Of the knights in charge of the fourth group, one was transferred from the capital, while three of them were from the fort.
The forty knights from the capital served under the squad captain, and the other thirty knights from the fort followed the vice-captain. [?3?]
In the front line, led by the squad captain and senior knights from the fort, while the students were being lined up, the vice-captain and another person were walking in the very rear.
The vice-captain observed the situation from the very back, while paying attention to his surroundings.
Four hours after they began marching, the n.o.bles who never practiced diligently were already struggling to merely walk due to fatigue.
‘It seems that they were unable to sleep well last night.’
From the start of the expedition, the mental strain from being vigilant towards the surroundings had exhausted their stamina.
All of the students were gradually hanging their heads and looking at their feet.
However, the reason that the vice-captain made a bitter face was the squad captain in the front.
It can’t be helped that the students were inattentive due to fatigue.
They were still inexperienced apprentice knights, who would gain experience alongside the full-fledged knights. They should be forgiven for that much.
On the other hand, the full-fledged knights, even the captain, were making sluggish steps for some reason.
He had already entrusted the vanguard to his subordinates, so he marched on in silence.
Even though at the beginning, the students had asked self-important questions.
While thinking bitter thoughts, he observed the surroundings from the back. Then, to the left of the group, was a thicket.
In it, an unnatural shadow was visible.
The students were not paying attention, bur even the knights haven’t noticed.
The shadow aimed for one of the students, slowly creeping closer, and when it was around five to six meters away, it immediately accelerated!
“…Eh?”
At last, the student who was targeted finally noticed the shadow.
An exhausted sound leaked out, and the shadow leapt out as he watched —
— s.h.i.t, there’s no time!
As soon as he saw the shadow, he had already began to move towards it, but the students in front of him blocked his path.
While the other knights and students haven’t moved–
The vice-captain’s eyes saw a silver light be absorbed by the shadow —
With a loud shriek, the shadow jumped aside, writhing in pain.
With a hair raising scream, the black shadow tumbled to the ground while thrashing about, knocking two students away.
After turning once, then twice … it got up, raising its voice into a howl.
At first glance, it seemed to be a rat.
However, it was the size of a wolf, and was covered in reptilian scales, a grotesque rat-like figure.
— Monster.
“Uwaah…” “Uwaaaaah!?”
Advancing from a thicket n the middle of a treacherous terrain, and a dark, dense forest, while the students’ stamina and spirits were exhausted, was a dreaded encounter with monsters.
The students fell into a panic — “Stop panicking!”
The vice-captain thundered a command.
“Hold up your shields, draw your swords! Is this how you aim to become the Empire’s knights?”
As if struck by lightning, the galvanized[4] students held up their shields and drew their swords.
‘Yes, though they are agitated, it should be fine.’
They had somehow pa.s.sed the knight examination.
Once they prepared their stances, they outnumbered it.
‘First off, we won’t lose.’
The vice-captain didn’t attack again, and observed the situation as the students encircled the monster.
His eyes were caught by a youth standing in front of the demonic beasts.
‘That student is the cadet that Aldo paid attention to.’
The silver flash from before was him throwing the short sword, cutting through the air.
The short sword deeply embedded into the rat-like monster’s right eye.
If it weren’t for that attack, the recently targeted student would have had his throat torn to shreds.
While letting out an angry growl, the monster gnashed its fangs menacingly.
However, being completely surrounded on all sides, though agile, the demonic beast had no chance.
Though they had somewhat backed away, the students’ swords wounded the demonic beast’s skin.
“So that’s the cadet called Wynn.”[?4?]
Suddenly, one of his subordinates was standing next to him.
“Ah. It’s merely that Aldo-san has his eyes on him.”
Up until now, the students had a solid advantage.
The student directing the battle, the cadet named Wynn, went around the front of the surrounded monster, to the blind spot created by the short-sword, supporting the other students’ attacks.
Wynn stood in front of the demonic beast, while two people moved to the left and right behind it.
The two people standing in the back specialized in attack magic began to chant magic.
Rather than specialize in fighting against humans, his style specialized in fighting monsters.
Stabbing at an opponent’s weak points, it was an adventurer’s fighting style.
According to Wynn’s instructions, they repaired the formation.
Despite being an ostracized a commoner, they had arrived at this situation due to his directions.
It was to the point that the n.o.bles were able to recognize his judgment.
“That lad, he still has energy to spare in this fight.”
“… It’s regrettable, isn’t it?”
The fact that he was devoted to distracting the monster, while also paying attention to the surroundings, speaks volumes of his experience fighting monsters.
At that age, he might be imitating an adventurer.
“Soon, it will be a good time for our plan. What should we do?”
The vice-captain looked up at the sky.
At the beginning of the plan, the students needed to be occupied for the plan to work.
Therefore, encountering a monster from the beginning was helpful.
However, looking at the battle, it would be good to cast away that plan.
Especially that Cadet Wynn — no — beyond the weapon in his hands, there were many uncertain factors. [?5?]
Though the thick branches and leaves blocked the sunlight, the sun was slowly reaching its zenith.[5]
“How far is the fort, and how far are the other groups?”
“It is as planned.”
Nodding at the subordinate’s report, he would wait and see what the captain did.
As if grading them, he stood behind the students and watched the course of the students’ battle.
The battle was headed towards the end.
The two students finished their chants, and the monster was covered in flames.
Letting out a soft whine, the monster fell to the ground, then the two students stabbed at it with their swords.
The demonic beast’s death cries resounded.
“If we’re doing it, we must do it now.”
Matching the vice commander, his two subordinates also slowly drew their swords.
Displaying his resolution at the beginning was his role as their superior.
He softly crept behind the squad captain, who was proudly looking at the students’ battles…
“Ah… Gah…”
In one motion, the vice-captain’s sword pierced the captain’s back, and exited his chest, and fresh blood spurted out.