“…I’m bored.”
Two days had now passed since the day I talked to Corps Commander Dyle. And I spent a lot of that ti laying in my bed.
Just rolling around and staring at the ceiling.
I did go out once to take a walk, but those around looked uncomfortable, so I ca back.
According to Rig, a note had been sent to everyone, marking out as a person who attacked others all of the ti for no reason.
“As if I would do that!”
I protested. ‘Yes, it’s only half of the ti, sir’ Rig agreed.
It just wasn’t right.
Still, even in my past life, I had always been a long-suffering person. And so I stayed here, wasting my ti.
“…I really am bored. Damn it.”
It almost made want to go out and actually start a fight. But just then, a ssenger from the Corps Commander arrived.
“I have a report.”
I heard the voice coming from outside of the tent, and jumped out as if I had been waiting for it. The ssenger was quite shocked by this.
I thought this was strange, as he knew I was inside. But then I realized it was because of the way I was dressed.
These were my room clothes. Which was really just sothing around the waist.
So I was almost naked.
Still…I think I was safe in terms of coverage.
“Ah…cough. Let’s hear it then.”
The ssenger was in full uniform.
And I was in my underwear.
It must have made a rather surreal picture.
“This evening, your opponents in training will arrive from the main camp. This ans your training will start on the day after tomorrow, in the morning. You are to read the details here.”
Ah, so it was about our training after all.
The ti and place were written down for .
It was going to be a group battle between two races of equal numbers.
Only wooden weapons were allowed.
tal armor was banned as well. So I guess we had to wear leather.
“It doesn’t say who the opponents will be. Who are they? Also, why is it the day after tomorrow? Why not tomorrow?”
“You will be fighting Makaras. There was a request to have it the day after tomorrow, as they want a day for their own training.”
“I see. Thank you. The day after tomorrow then.
“That is all.”
The ssenger left.
I had never heard of the Makara before.
There weren’t any in our country, and none of the traveling rchants had talked about them.
“And I don’t rember them from my past either. But I heard nearly all of the nas and characteristics of the different races from rchants.”
If you sell things, sell information. And so I had talked thoroughly with every traveling rchant I ever t, and asked them about the other races.
And yet I had still never heard of the Makara.
“Markara, eh? Well, if they’re going to be training tomorrow, I might as well have a look.”
Of course, I’ll do it quietly.
After that, Saifo and Beka ca and caught grinning to myself.
As it was perfect timing, I mocked them casually and told them that our training would start on the day after tomorrow, and so they should tell the others to prepare.
Just as they were leaving, Saifo and Beka said sothing horrifying.
“Hey, Golan. I hope you’re showing that intentionally.”
“Yeah. The head is sticking out!”
Their eyes were fixed towards my waist.
So it was showing. Damn it.
The next day, I searched for the Makara and found them with ease.
They were strong-looking black mountain goats.
So had horns like a bull, while others had horns that curled in a circle.
And since they had similar physiques, it would probably be easier to tell them apart by looking at their horns.
And so I followed them quietly and watched them train.
What they did was most strange.
They moved as a group, stopped, held up their weapons, and then moved again.
It seed like so kind of performance at first. And then I realized it.
“…It’s…a battle simulation.”
An air battle.
The way they moved reminded of mass gas, but this was a group battle.
So they were good at this kind of thing.
Were they doing this air battle without weapons or armor as a part of their ntal training?
“The left hand looks like it would hold a shield…a great shield. Are those archers?”
They were fighting closely with spears and great shields.
The great shield wielders protected the archers so they could shoot.
Was soone giving them orders?
What was imdiately evident, was how precise their movents were.
They could move perfectly in order to deal with attacks from the side and even ambushes from the back.
“I see. So everyone is in charge of attacking and defense. And they can attack at long, mid and close range as well. They are definitely a formidable enemy.”
It seed like a group that could quickly evolve to et the demands of the battlefield. There were no weaknesses.
They could attack and protect freely.
“This is bad.”
I’d have to figure out so way to deal with them, or it would easily turn into a one-sided battle.
And so I left quietly.
○ Corps Commander Dyle
“It looks like they arrived.”
Halm, the Crystal Dragon, had visited Dyle.
“Aye. I was worried that the Ogres would explode, and now I can finally sigh with relief.”
This made it sound like Dyle feared the Ogres. But Dyle was a leader within the military.
And so it was only natural for him to do his best to keep order.
Whether planned or not, when the Ogres—especially Golan, moved, things tended to happen.
“And now their basic training can continue as usual.”
Halm said soberly. Dyle shook his head.
“No, I intend for this to be the end of their training.”
Halm’s eyes widened at these unexpected words.
There were supposed to be five parts to basic training.
And they had all been put in place for proper reasons.
And while a Corps Commander did have the authority to do as he pleased, such a thing was very rare.
“You’re going to abandon their training?”
“No, that’s not it. The fourth training is survival. Where you are put in harsh conditions all alone and must survive and return to the main camp.”
“Yes. Food and water must be acquired on site. And you’re expected to walk over five hundred kiloters, I believe?”
It was very severe.
“Previously, I had the opportunity to hold a hearing with the Ogres.”
“Oh?”
“Golan told that I should hear from as many of them as I could. It seed like good advice, and so I did. Surprisingly, Ogres in their country make almost all of their own food.”
They lived in undeveloped villages and ford independent societies.
“Yes, smaller countries tend to be like that. And?”
“And they have all experienced so sort of survival training. By their own choice.”
“What do you an?”
“Well, say they get hungry and so they go up to the mountains. There is prey. They follow it, only to move farther away from their house. And they say, ‘oh, well’ and just live there for awhile.”
“What savages!”
“You can say that. This survival training is effective on the elite who live in towns. But it won’t an anything to those who are used to that kind of life.”
“I see. There is no point in making them do it, if they will pass with ease.”
If it’s too easy, they’ll just say, ‘What? That’s it?’
“And so I decided that it would be pointless.”
“But what about the last part of their training? Isn’t that supposed to be the culmination of everything before it?”
“Yes. However, the end is a one on one battle training…a duel, like Gekokujyo.”
“Ah, in order to show them who is still in charge.”
These newcors who survived all of this harsh training might feel like they’re on a different level now.
However, it was important to show them at the very end, that there was always soone above them.
They would be beaten into a pulp in a place where there was no way to escape.
Halm felt it was exactly the kind of thing that these Ogres needed.
“I can’t find anyone who can do that to Golan. Perhaps I should just compromise, and look for soone who isn’t guaranteed to beat him. However, I’ve been feeling differently about things recently.”
“What do you an?”
“Well, there was that rebellion incident. These Ogres have surprisingly high combat ability. And Golan isn’t the only one who you need to watch out for.”
In other words, it was possible that he could bring out soone from the high-ranking races, and they would still lose.
And Dyle felt that this would be very bad indeed.
The very thought of multiple high-rankers losing in a row…
He wanted to avoid this. But he wasn’t confident that he could.
“I see…”
Halm considered it as well. After traveling with them, his thoughts were ‘Ogres really are ruthless,’ and ‘why were Ogres treated as one of the weaker races?’
Indeed, Halm was not sure how strong an enemy would need to be to win against them for sure.
“And so the next one will be the last part of their training.”
“Aye. That’s why I had the Makaras co here. And while the General agreed to send out these secret soldiers, others were not so pleased about it. But it was only through doing this, that we will be able to save face tomorrow.”
“I see. Well, I will be sure to watch them tomorrow then.”
“I hope you do. I know you won’t be disappointed.”
Such was the conversation between Corps Commander Dyle and Adjutant Halm, before they parted ways.
Reviews
All reviews (0)