Chapter 48
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: A Strategic Alliance
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The final exams began.
“Anyone who has finished may submit their test paper and leave.”
Pernyan’s first subject was *Introduction to Runic Linguistics*, the foundation of magic.
With ninety percent of the course focused on theory, the test was a simple written exam. It was neither difficult nor time-consuming.
Pernyan filled out the ten-page exam paper completely and turned it in.
“…He’s already done?”
“Wow, he’s incredibly fast with written exams.”
“Seeing him ace it like that, it never made sense for him to be tenth in practical skills.”
Since this was the sixth time it had happened, there wasn't much of a commotion.
As always, he felt one intense gaze on him, but that was all. It was probably Carlo Deneve.
A guy with such a strong desire to be first that he refused to lose at anything.
*‘It doesn’t matter to me, though.’*
The next subjects were *Understanding Hand Seals, Incantations, and Formulas* and *The Composition and Principles of Magic Circles*.
*Understanding Hand Seals, Incantations, and Formulas* was also simple. It involved deciphering the given incantations and formulas and then manifesting them.
*The Composition and Principles of Magic Circles* was similar in format.
Pernyan finished the other two subjects without difficulty. He was the first to leave the examination hall, having completed them perfectly.
With those three fundamental subjects out of the way, the first joint exam awaited him.
A joint exam for *Combat, War, and Magic* and *Warfare and Practical Sparring Techniques*.
“This exam is simple. It seems they’ll divide the students into four teams for a large-scale battle.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s about the exam.”
“Professor Grad again?”
“They were selling it on the way, so I bought it.”
“Does that even make sense?”
Instead of answering, Pernyan turned to the next page.
“The professors will form the teams randomly, so there probably won’t be any major balance issues. The important thing is the environment.”
The battle methods, necessary preparations, and responses would inevitably change depending on the stage.
“Isn’t it all written there already?”
“You’re quick. We’re in Team 3, and the battlefield is mountains and hills. The stage is a circle with a radius of roughly five kilometers.”
Pernyan closed the document.
“Are you confident?”
“That’s the wrong question.”
Ruina steeled her resolve.
“We will win.”
* * *
The overall framework was similar to the last practical exercise.
Every student was given a map, which would not only ensure their safety but also determine their elimination.
The difference this time was that the one hundred teams had been reduced to four.
And the objective itself was either to eliminate one another or to capture the flag located at another team’s base.
The rules and format were nothing special; it was a common training method used to develop tactics and strategy.
“I will now announce the teams.”
On the day of the exam, the teams were formed exactly as stated in the document Pernyan had bought.
“In the northern mountainous region, you must either capture the flags set up in each other's camps or eliminate all opponents.”
Professor Grad’s brief explanation was the signal that the final exam had begun.
Each team was guided to their designated camp, and the exam began under the supervision of the professors and teaching assistants.
The camp for Team 3, which included Pernyan and Ruina, was situated on a small, densely wooded hill. The fifty students of Team 3, who had moved together, warily sized each other up.
In a team battle, unity was crucial. If they wavered and only offered conflicting opinions, they would become a disorganized mob, easy prey for the other teams.
No one present was unaware of this fact.
“Is there anyone here who wants to be the leader?”
Tension mounted at the sudden question.
Hands went up here and there.
Five in total. There were students from both the Knight and Magic Departments.
But Pernyan didn’t step forward. While making Ruina the top student was important, he had no desire to take on the role of leader himself.
Of course, if Ruina wanted to do it, he was willing to help. But he would decline the role for himself.
“You’re not stepping up.”
“I don’t have a particular talent for commanding others.”
“But I doubt you’re incapable of it.”
“Of course, I’m not that inept, but there’s no reason for me to step up when someone else can do it better.”
“Someone who can do it better?”
Instead of answering, Ruina gazed at him steadily.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“I felt that way based on our time together.”
“I’ve never commanded troops in front of you.”
“Even so, you’re the only student here who has practical experience managing people in a professional capacity.”
She wasn’t wrong, but managing merchants was entirely different from commanding soldiers in battle.
“The other students seem to think so, too.”
“What do you….”
Pernyan trailed off. At some point, all the students had turned to look at him.
“Pernyan Fallenberg. We’ve decided you’d be the best leader.”
The student who had first brought up the topic of a leader stepped forward.
What was his name again? Erun Rahas, twenty-first in the Magic Department.
“Me?”
“There are two reasons. One, you have the highest rank.”
“There’s Gert Grotz and Neria Hafman. And Ruina.”
“Ruina just deferred to you, and Gert recommended you.”
Pernyan’s head turned.
Through the crowd, he could see Gert Grotz smirking and his partner, Neria Hafman, sighing and giving a slight bow.
“And the second reason?”
“You’re the only one with real-world experience commanding people.”
“Managing a merchant guild and a mock battle are completely different.”
“But the rest of us haven’t even done that. And you’re first in written exams. No one can beat you in theory.”
“……”
Pernyan silently looked at Ruina. His resolve weakened at the sight of her sparkling eyes.
He didn’t want to do it. He really didn’t, but…
*‘If Ruina wants it.’*
*‘And if it pushes my downfall a little further away.’*
“Fine.”
Besides, if he was going to make Ruina the top student, this was the surest way.
“You all chose me, so trust me completely. In return, I’ll bring you victory.”
He was confident. He already had a good idea of who would be leading the other teams anyway.
“Alright, leader. What’s our first move? Fortify the camp?”
“We won’t be doing anything so trivial.”
Pernyan unfolded the map and checked the locations of the other teams.
“Send messengers to Team 2 and Team 4 immediately.”
A man accustomed to standing above all others.
A man with experience commanding an actual army.
And therefore, the man with the greatest advantage in this exam.
“We’re eliminating Ludger Schwaben first.”
A common enemy must be dealt with more swiftly than anyone else.
Together with others.
* * *
Just as Pernyan had predicted, the representative for Team 1 was Ludger Schwaben.
“We trust you, Your Highness.”
The fact that he had the highest rank besides Almon, and the fact that he was an imperial prince.
And given his familiarity with managing people and his experience commanding a knightly order, there was no better choice.
“Good. Trust me.”
Ludger, too, accepted it as a matter of course.
“For I will naturally be victorious.”
He never even considered the possibility of defeat.
He had been bested by Pernyan once during the practical exercise, but that was only because it had been a completely unexpected blow.
Now that the threat was revealed, there was no reason he couldn't win.
“First, send out scouts to assess the other teams’ situations and fortify our camp’s defenses.”
With four teams warily watching each other, the one to make the first move rashly was most likely to be targeted first.
Ludger began to devise plans to devour the other teams one by one.
“Set traps in the surrounding area.”
The camp also came with various supplies for field battles. About thirty minutes passed.
“Your Highness, we have a problem! The bastards from Team 2 are swarming this way!”
“Their numbers?”
“Around thirty, it seems.”
“It looks like they’re all coming here, save for a minimal defense force.”
Ludger nodded at Almon’s words. Just then, the students who had gone to scout the other teams returned one after another.
“Dozens from Team 3 are heading this way!”
“Same with Team 4!”
“This is…”
The students swallowed groans. Unless they were fools, everyone knew what this meant.
“They’ve formed an alliance?”
Ludger let out a hollow laugh.
He instantly realized who had orchestrated this.
“…Pernyan Fallenberg. Great minds think alike, it seems.”
He, too, had been planning to eliminate the Pernyan and Ruina pair first, but they had beaten him to the punch.
“What should we do, Your Highness?”
“What do you mean, what should we do? We hold our ground.”
He had no intention of meekly surrendering just because they had formed an alliance.
And holding out wasn’t impossible.
They may be three teams, but they’ve left some of their members behind for minimal defense.
The force coming this way is roughly ninety strong.
Compared to Team 1’s full fifty members, that was nearly double, but it wasn’t as if they had no advantages.
“We’ve had thirty minutes to set some traps. Those lot aren’t a proper, coordinated army, so we can hold out for a while if we must.”
“But isn’t that just delaying our defeat?”
“That’s why we won’t just defend. We’ll attack, too. Almon.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Unfolding the map, Ludger pointed to Team 4.
“Their camp will be defended by nothing but riffraff. Can you sneak in and take their flag?”
“It doesn’t seem impossible. But if I leave, won’t we be at too much of a disadvantage? I’m the only one who can stop Ruina.”
“Don’t worry. Pernyan used this method because he knows me well, but I know him well, too.”
Ludger smiled.
“Pernyan and Ruina won’t go all out. The same goes for Gert and Neria. If so, holding our ground should be manageable.”
“I understand. But why Team 4 and not Team 2?”
Team 2 was closer in distance. At a time when they didn’t know how long they could last with their numerical disadvantage, he wondered if it wouldn’t be better to eliminate one team as quickly as possible.
“Simple. Carlo is in Team 2.”
“Don’t tell me?”
Instead of answering, Ludger gave a faint smile.
A short while later, before the alliance descended on Team 1’s camp, Almon slipped away.
* * *
Meanwhile, as Pernyan led the incited students to attack Team 1, he secretly instructed Ruina.
“Ruina, if we arrive and the battle unfolds as planned, don’t give it your all. Just go through the motions.”
“What do you mean, *if*? Are you saying the battle might not happen? And what do you mean, just go through the motions?”
“You’ll find out the answer to your first question when we get there. As for the second, it means that if it comes to it, we can’t end the battle too quickly.”
Once Ludger’s Team 1 was finished, who would be the next target? Pernyan figured there was a nine-in-ten chance it would be him.
The reasons were many. Pernyan’s recent rise in the rankings, Ruina Bercefe’s excellence, and the fact that he was the one who had orchestrated this alliance, to name a few.
The students weren’t fools; they would be thinking about what came after Team 1 was eliminated.
But so was Pernyan.
So, he planned to stall for time, to wait for Ludger to do something. To let the other teams suffer greater losses.
“…That’s cowardly.”
“There is no cowardice in battle, Ruina. There is only victory.”
Just as there is no such thing as bad money in this world, only good money.
“Will you be a cowardly top student, or an honorable last-place one? Choose.”
“…Hon… no, cow… Ugh.”
“You have to be the top student. Isn’t that the most important first step to becoming a Royal Knight?”
“…I will be the victor.”
Ruina forced herself to bite her lip.
“Good. Remember this, Ruina. Victory is justice.”
“……”
“This is a token of repentance for making a righteous knight do an unrighteous deed.”
“…Kraken ink chocolate?”
“It’s a delicacy.”
She brought a piece of chocolate to her lips. Her gloomy expression was instantly washed over with happiness.
“Victory, regardless of the process, will be just as sweet.”
“…Yes. You don’t have to go that far. I’ll do it.”
Good.
Pernyan smiled.