Chapter 315
A revolver was placed in my hand along with the sound of a corpse falling.
Perhaps the cartridge was an artifact, as Magic Power flowed from the cylinder. I stared at the lump of tal that had just killed a person, then slowly raised my head to look at the person who had put it in my hand. The sight of the 98th class Mages watching to see what I would do brushed past my vision.
"There are three shots left, try it. You need to practice penetrating Vitriol too."
cklenburg's words buzzed in my ears and scattered.
"......."
As if killing a person wasn't enough, he told to practice shooting at the corpse.
They had no intention of rescuing people. Neither the governnt nor the 98th class. What happened to all the people they handled until now? Since they probably only handled Grade 4 and below, maybe they didn't kill them?
"It would be good to practice when the opportunity arises. When the Vitriol disperses on the first shot, you have to shoot twice in succession. You probably trained with single action during basic military training at the Third Academy, but you shouldn't do that here where Vitriol restores itself in seconds. Fortunately, you are New Humans, so you have an advantage over anyone in terms of speed."
Silence flowed as no one answered. cklenburg's amber eyes, Elias next to him, the 98th class watching our reaction. Burst Vitriol and dark red blood.... The blood flowed up to the toe of my boots. Until then, we didn't say a word. Because there was so much to say, we couldn't utter a single word. What they needed was not a few words of rebuke, shouting, and anger.
"Can you not hear ?"
"......."
I looked once again at the revolver held in my hand, no one else's. I now recalled the fact that there were people among the 98th class who were the sa age as Adrian Askanian. Before that, I thought about the dead Berserker and the reason they called for 10 minutes of leeway, and now I understood the aning of the hospital nurse's words, 'please make sure no sounds are heard'.
The 98th class was busy watching their weak-hearted juniors. They must be happy to be able to legally discipline us. The dead person is not in their consideration.
"I think we should end it here for today. I guess I asked too much of a Mage who just started working."
cklenburg's voice stuck clearly.
This is probably not just their problem. The fact that they casually show murder to juniors they see for the first ti ans this thod is a shortcut the governnt turns a blind eye to, even if not officially recomnded. They probably don't consider this murder and genuinely think it's a 'good thod' as they said.
Feeling that the sll of blood was actually calming my breathing, and at the sa ti feeling my Magic Power reacting to that sll, I looked into cklenburg's eyes.
"What are your impressions?"
cklenburg, who was taking out the signal device, looked around as if dumbfounded and pointed to himself.
"Are you asking for my impressions right now?"
"Yes. I asked Your Excellency Albert cklenburg."
"I am satisfied since everyone survived safely. And since it's your first ti, to give you so advice patiently, asking a question first when not given the opportunity to ask might not look good to others."
He glanced at my friends and , then smiled.
"Looking at your expressions, the resistance seems significant, but I feel I should help our precious 101st class juniors use the most economical and rational thod soon."
I get it.
Soon, he will call us out under the pretext of disciplining us. If we don't increase efficiency even though they 'help', they will consider it insubordination. Therefore, there is no reason for to shoot the corpse in the first place. If you believe we won't be harassed if we follow their unreasonable orders, that's an idealistic idea of soone who has never experienced military discipline. Our 101st class is bound to be tornted by the 98th class no matter what we do, and for the situation to improve, we either have to wait for the 102nd class to co in or endure a period of absolute obedience to the 98th class's words until they lose interest or acknowledge us.
cklenburg opened his hand, politely pointed at , and asked.
"So, now I want to hear what your impressions are."
"It is kind of you to ask for my opinion too."
My friends on the other side looked at with eyes filled with terror. I see it only now. I turned my gaze away from them and answered.
"It was the most short-sighted behavior I have ever seen or heard in my life."
The air beca cold as ice. I slowly looked around at the expressions of the rest of the 98th class hardening, excluding cklenburg. Imprinting those expressions one by one in my mind, I opened my mouth.
"Turn back."
***
"...In fact, let alone the 98th class, we haven't even t the 100th class seniors, haven't been to the Special Operations Command Headquarters, and haven't heard the system of how this special whatever runs."
I hear Elias's words I heard earlier. I see the expression of the official who looks like he's tolerating it because he's from a ruling family, although annoyed.
Leo, who was walking ahead, turned back toward for a mont and then walked looking forward again. His face is pale. Even seeing his coldly closed mouth and tense eyes, one couldn't fail to feel that it was an expression riddled with anger.
It was difficult for to continue my thoughts fully as well, but since there was sothing I needed to know right now, I had to suppress my emotions.
"When will firearms be issued?"
"......."
When I asked abruptly, my friends' surprised gazes turned to . They would wonder why we need to be issued Old Human weapons, and I also don't have certainty that they will necessarily be issued.
First, what do I need to know?
First of all, I need to know if it's true that 'everyone' does this, as Albert cklenburg said.
The official glanced back with a puzzled face, wondering when I heard that news, and answered.
"If you write a request, we give it imdiately."
"Do many people use them?"
"I heard there are people who carry them for protection when dealing with high-risk Berserkers. Because if sothing goes wrong, they could die at the hands of a Berserker."
"For protection. Then is it used only in unavoidable situations?"
"According to regulations, of course."
"......."
According to regulations. The word regulation was funny.
"Is there a procedure to check if it was used appropriately?"
"No."
The official answered briefly. Then he continued in a calm voice.
"Use your discretion."
Kill with discretion.
I understood well. As expected, the state is also an accomplice.
"How many cartridges can we receive at once?"
"I understand that 30 rounds per person are issued every month."
Should I at least praise them for setting a limit? Now even the obvious is very grateful. He said earlier we have to shoot three tis, so let's say one person handles 10 reports with what they received. If there are at least five people in a team, they can handle 50 reports. Since this is a calculation when shooting exactly three tis, even assuming we halve it safely, 25 tis ans we can end most reports coming into one team in a month by killing. The official, perhaps finding annoying now too, cut off the questions.
"Even if you ask more, I only handle report assignnt affairs so I don't know well."
"Yes, I see."
I answered soullessly and looked toward the Victory Column. It's not just the 98th class's problem, but it is a clearly determined future that they will kill a person soon. Even if we turn back ti a bit more and avoid eting the 98th class altogether, they will commit murder in the 5-story general store and call us out soday. Nothing is solved by running away.
I pulled Leo back and cast a sound-proofing Spell. However, Leo opened his mouth before I could say anything.
"Imdiately after the first shot, I'll do it."
"......."
In this situation, I can't not know what he ans to do. I walked looking only forward without affirming or denying.
Leo's opinion is the sa as mine. I usually thought we were really different, but whenever he's like this, I realize once again why he and I are friends. Ultimately, it must be because the place we look at is not that different in the end.
Instead of answering that I understood his answer, I changed the topic slightly.
"Our affiliation changed too; I wonder if we'll go to the brig at this rate."
"Hmm, your way of thinking is a bit like soldiers."
"......."
It ans how can a mber of a ruling family worry that far in peaceti. At Leo's—completely unintentional—Royalty-like remark, I was at a loss for words, and at the sa ti, thanks to his words, I was able to conclude my conjecture about the danger our plan this ti would evoke. Leo, perhaps having thought about my words carefully in the anti, added briefly.
"Even if I go, I won't change my choice. You will too."
Right. Since the result is the sa wherever we flee, I am the sa.
Leo, standing in front of the 98th class, looked at the revolver holster hanging on cklenburg's waist. They acted no differently from before and spoke words no different from before. I don't know what state of mind they walked in with. Like that, we arrived at the 5-story general store again.
"...Nothing else, but I heard it took you 15 minutes to suppress a Berserker, so I called you because I have sothing to teach you."
[Ugh.... Uh-uh-uh....]
The magic light pierced my eyes unpleasantly. The Berserker wandering far away made only sounds hard to hear, unaware of its fate. None of us responded, and Leo and I exchanged glances. cklenburg looked around us and said.
"Recomnded ti, good. But if we keep that honestly, we won't live out our natural lifespans. It seed no one taught you a good thod yet. I'll show you how everyone does it, so...."
Albert cklenburg took out the revolver from the holster. Ti seed to flow slowly. Leo's Magic Power was calm without a single speck of agitation, feeling as if he had no intention of moving, but Leo will execute the plan imdiately after the first gunshot rings, as he said earlier.
"......."
"Watch closely."
That's right. Clearly, I confird that Leo's plan was the sa as mine. However, on this matter alone, my opinion differed from his.
I have no intention of pushing this onto Leo.
Bang―! Clang―!
When I closed and opened my eyes once, the one shot that went ahead broke my veil cast in front of the Berserker, and the revolver rolled on the floor just before the next shot. Leo's eyes, widened as he lost the initiative to , quickly distorted.
I snatched the revolver and shouted to my friends.
"Everyone, raise your Wands!"
***
Because our attacks continued to strike the Berserker, the 98th class, missing the opportunity to capture, gave up on using firearms. Our two teams subdued the Berserker with only magic and succeeded in sending the Berserker to the hospital.
So now it was ti to follow the set procedure.
"Your back is lowering?"
"......."
At the 98th class vice-leader's words, I took a deep breath and corrected my posture.
Discipline is everywhere.
At this point, I feel sorry for the word discipline, so it might be better to express it as crappy discipline. If it sounds the sa, it can't be helped. Starting from the gifted schools kids attend, special purpose high schools operated by class systems, academic high school clubs, universities, the military, so professions, etc.... At least in the tis and places I have passed through, such things existed, albeit faintly.
And 19th-century Prussia was the complete version of crappy discipline. The 98th class in front of now was claiming how New Human-like and rational it was for them to make us 'exercise' without hitting us. Right, in fact, what I am doing now doesn't even count as corporal punishnt in this era, so from their perspective, it would certainly be hard to call it disciplining. Even so, seeing them do this to Mages placed in the sa position just with different class years, the fundantals are indeed different no matter what.
"Stop!"
The 98th class vice-leader shouted. Albert cklenburg was surprisingly excluded from the punishnt, but instead, he laid out a mat and sat watching us. My friends looked at the atmosphere and stood up. I expected what the 98th class would say, but I stood up with them for now. In tis like this anyway, it's better to do as told even if it's annoying.
The vice-leader tilted his head with a humorless face.
"I don't know with what sha Askanian is standing up."
'Oh my, sure. If I don't get up, you'll make a fuss about that too.'
It's a problem if I breathe, a problem if I don't. I suppressed a sneer and put my hands on the ground again.
"The rest co forward and turn around."
The remaining six turned to face . Feeling sweat forming on my chin, I thought. Could I have left this to Leo? It's obvious how he would be harassed. If he, not I, had snatched cklenburg's revolver, the person in my place right now would be Leo.
After a while, cklenburg made stand up. He said with a slightly regretful face.
"You know what would happen if what happened today beca known to the Command Headquarters. Let's end it at this line. Do you know now how dangerous what you did today was?"
"Yes."
"Then, when we go out to the field together in the future, will you refuse our 98th class's thod like today?"
"Yes."
"......."
If you ask if I will refuse murder, of course. Even if these bastards make do military discipline training every day, I will never withdraw this answer. It is not an area where I dare to say I won't refuse even as empty words.
The expressions of the other Mages standing behind beca fierce. cklenburg shook his head with a worried face, and I did that crap alone for 30 more minutes after all my friends returned to school.
Hearing that I could return, I stood up, dusted off my clothes, bowed briefly, and left the Imperial Mages' Association's 98th class training ground.
'Funny. Asking if I know what would happen if it beca known to the Command Headquarters.'
Nothing happens.
In the first place, they can't report it. They are furious right now at the fact that they lost the initiative in the field to us, the 101st class. Try reporting to the higher-ups under the pretext that we hijacked the scene. Then they would have to ntion the fact that they dawdled for 10 minutes, went leisurely, and killed the Berserker using firearms ant only for protection at a mont when their lives weren't threatened; sure, go ahead and report it well.
It's not easy to officially drag out matters that should be handled with discretion, and seeing that the leadership also turns a blind eye to killing, they are in cahoots, but.... They can't discipline us, who aren't commoners and even have a foreigner in our team, and openly side with the 98th class. It's exactly what Leo said earlier.
The reason the 98th class makes us 'polish our ntal strength using exercise without beating us up' is actually because they used a humanitarian thod since we are from ruling families like them.
'Of course, I have no intention of accepting it continuously.'
I prevented the murder imdiately before my eyes with this, but I have two problems now. First, they will continue to kill Berserkers. Second, unless the power structure changes, they will force it on the 101st class too.
So this matter starts from now.
I snapped my fingers reciting the coordinates to move to the school warp point. As soon as my vision turned black, I heard soone's surprised voice.
"Whoa~"
I warped with the thought of lying down on the warp point if I collapsed, but thankfully, soone caught my arm firmly. It was Elias. I see my Eschet friends gathered at the school warp point.
I led them to the dormitory, and as soon as I arrived, I went straight to bed. Not long after, the sound of friends knocking on the door was heard. Even though I clearly heard several voices, perhaps Leo stopped them, as he was the only one who entered.
"Are you okay?"
"Of course."
I pointed to my core and made a gesture asking why he asked when he felt everything until now. Leo, full of fatigue from being harassed all day, showed a smile and spoke clearly.
"I said I would do it, Lukas."
"......."
I knew that would co out from the start. Leo opened his mouth again only after a long ti, perhaps trying to swallow his anger.
"I'm not saying you were wrong. I also concluded that the only way to stop the imdiate murder was to snatch the gun. If I had snatched it instead...."
Honestly, it would be burdenso if I told the truth about why I stole the initiative. I deliberated on how to answer without being burdenso, but my prediction was pointless as Leo clearly knew my intention. He let out his characteristic cool laugh and said.
"Right, if you co out like that, I have to say it. Is it okay for you to go through sothing like this? I just have to endure a bit. Anyway, those people can't treat too harshly because of my status."
"Isn't it the sa for that I just have to endure a bit? If it were Luise or Heike, it would have been worse than this."
"......."
Leo was at a loss for words. Standing looking only at the floor, he sat down silently and used healing magic on my limbs.
"Oh, that's refreshing."
At my admiration, Leo looked at with eyes wondering what kind of guy this is. I feel a sense of déjà vu. Just as I was about to ask what, unexpected words ca from him.
"Thanks."
"......."
"But there's no need to buy hatred like that. Especially you."
"Is that so. Thanks."
Feeling like there was a lot of aning contained, I didn't particularly want to bring up his past, so I answered briefly. The New Human body is indeed good. I quickly recovered my stamina, jumped up from my seat, and overturned the desk. Taking out a usable notebook and pen, I sat in front of Leo again.
"There's no need to go as far as buying hatred, but actually, we have to turn the 98th class into enemies anyway. Even if we didn't snatch the revolver and stood by the murder, we couldn't have gotten along smoothly from the start. If you think about what cklenburg said just before turning back ti, the answer cos out."
"...True."
"Cleanly discard relationships we couldn't choose. It's enough to turn one into an enemy but not the whole."
The Imperial Mages' Association, and the entire Special Operations Command we will enter now. Although he still had a worried face, a smile spread faintly on Leo's face.
"...Well. Beyond not turning them into enemies, we should make them ours."
"......."
He is also saying we must crush the 98th class with our own hands. To align with Mr. FM at this mont plotting insubordination, the corners of my mouth curled up slowly without my realizing it.
Right, what am I thinking in front of the person who put a new Emperor on the throne?
I stood up from my seat and said.
"Now the problem is how to win over the whole in earnest. I should bring Elias and Narce."
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