Field Training (2)
Things unfolded exactly as expected.
Having applied for a tour of the Cradle, the Hereticus siblings chose Dietrich and me—the only familiar faces—as their team members for the upcoming field training. I ended up dragging Yuna into the mix as well, which rounded out our five-person squad nicely.
Except...
"My, isn't this fate?"
Citing the excuse that Helena was too young, Princess Lobelia had shamelessly wedged herself into our group. It felt less like normal team selection and more like the fable of the golden and silver axes: I had answered honestly, and for my reward, the lake spirit had bestowed upon me both Cult and Lobelia in the very same group.
Yes. Honesty was truly a sin.
Damn it all...
"Are you really the Imperial Princess?"
"Why, of course I am."
Regardless of whether my expression was rotting into pure despair, Lobelia seemed entirely preoccupied with beaming and petting the head of Helena, whose eyes sparkled with childlike wonder.
"How exhausting," Cult muttered, sweeping his hair back with a practiced smile.
A solitary vein throbbed on his forehead, a clear sign that Lobelia's uninvited intrusion had thoroughly rubbed him the wrong way.
"I expected as much, but experiencing it firsthand is far more tiresome than I imagined."
"...And why, pray tell, are you saying that to me?"
"Who else here besides you could possibly understand how I feel, Johann?"
"What a deeply unpleasant thought."
Cult was someone who hid his true nature even from his closest friend, Dietrich. The only ones who knew of his dark, sinister interior were Lobelia and myself. Yuna knew as well, but Cult remained blissfully ignorant of that fact. Consequently, the only people in front of whom he could drop his facade were Lobelia and me. But since venting to Lobelia would inevitably devolve into a petty battle of wills, he had chosen to dump his frustrations onto me instead.
Was I being used as an emotional trash can right now?
"Well then, Johann. Go over there and give her a stern talking-to."
"...Me?"
"Would you prefer I do it instead?"
Shouldn't you be the one to do it? You're the one with the complaint...
Even so, I walked over anyway. How could a powerless guy like me possibly refuse the veiled threat of a lunatic terrorist?
Lobelia had just begun regaling Helena with tales of her heroic exploits, so I interrupted, claiming I had something to discuss, and pulled her aside.
"Your Highness, what did you do about your original team?"
Cult had told me to give her a piece of my mind, but there was no way in hell I'd actually do that. I was merely going through the motions. If I were to actually scold an Imperial Princess, the only thing that would sting would be the blade lopping off my head. Cult had surely known that; his sole purpose had been to torment me.
"They have organized themselves quite capable of managing without me, so there is no need to fret," Lobelia replied breezily.
Excuse me, why would I be worrying about them? I'm worrying about myself! I'm asking because my own bodily safety is on the line!
"Ah, if you are concerned about Ariel, you need not worry. I obtained her permission beforehand. I told her I would be keeping an eye on you in case you tried to fool around."
"Is that so?"
"Ariel sulked, insisting you would never do such a thing. Though, well..."
Lobelia trailed off, glancing toward the corner where Yuna was unpacking and inventorying supplies from her knapsack.
"You aren't... are you?"
"I am not."
At least, I wasn't. And probably Yuna... wasn't either? The terrifying part was that even I couldn't say with absolute certainty. That was precisely why I tried my best not to dwell on it. I couldn't afford to lose my one and only friend, after all.
"Very well. Then tell me, Johann, what do you reckon Cult's true objective is?"
"It honestly looks like he just brought his little sister out for an excursion."
"Truly?"
"Um... to my knowledge, Cult hasn't revealed his true identity to Helena Hereticus. A child wouldn't understand the gravity of such matters, after all."
"Meaning he will refrain from doing anything that might arouse suspicion?"
"That's part of it, but Cult is human too. Isn't it natural to want to show only your best side to family?"
"Hmm... that is an analogy I find utterly impossible to grasp."
"Ah."
Right, the imperial family was a bit... dysfunctional, to put it mildly. The Emperor not only pitted his own children against each other in bloody power struggles, but had even executed them with his own hands, hadn't he?
"Besides, even if he does make a move, he won't do anything overt. You know what he's like—the bastard is crafty. Even if he schemes something, he won't pull it off right in front of us."
"I suppose that is true..."
Of course, that didn't mean he would hesitate to add himself to the casualty list. Cult had previously staged a terrorist attack just to pose as an innocent victim alongside the rest of us, so such a stunt was hardly out of the question.
"Ah, come to think of it, Your Highness, did you ever find out why this training is being held outdoors?"
"Ah, that? Well, as for that..." Lobelia appeared to ponder for a moment before offering a radiant smile. "We have plenty of time ahead of us. I shall tell you over the course of the training."
She just doesn't know, does she?
Outdoor field training.
Given that the Cradle was originally constructed as a military stronghold, I had braced myself for some simulated mock war, but the exercise turned out to be far more nominal than expected.
"Isn't this just camping?"
The theme of this training exercise was wilderness survival over five days and four nights. We had to pitch our own tents and forage for our own food and water. While that might sound demanding on paper, compared to the horrors we had endured at the Cradle so far, this was practically a leisurely picnic. The only designated program on the schedule was a glorified test of courage masquerading under the pretentious title of "Night Raid Preparedness Drill."
Were we genuinely just out here on vacation?
"Uh, starting now, pitch your tents along this ravine. Once your squad finishes setting up your designated tent, you may assist other teams or head out early to gather rations. Yes, apparently that's the procedure. Get moving."
Professor Georg, tasked with leading the second-years, droned through the instructions looking like a corpse dragged from a ditch. He recited the guidelines with all the enthusiasm of a man reading directly from a bureaucratic manual, and it was blatantly obvious that most of the students were paying him zero attention. Then again, when the instructor himself couldn't be bothered to reprimand them, what else could anyone expect?
"Did you pack bandages? What about spare weapons?"
"How many potions did you bring? If we want to survive an ambush, we'll need to layer multiple defensive barriers around our perimeter."
The students chattered noisily among themselves, yet every topic of conversation presupposed that an attack was imminent. Then again, I wasn't the only one expecting disaster; practically every student at the Cradle was preparing for the inevitable bloodbath bound to erupt here.
"Your Highness, what should we do? I can't cast defensive magic. And I doubt Yuna can either."
"Regrettably, neither can I. But surely we have no need for such trivialities, wouldn't you agree?"
Lobelia simply shrugged off my concerns and began stomping on the earth to pack it down. With merely a few casual taps of her boot, the uneven ground flattened out into smooth, solid soil—a sight far more magical than actual magic. She seemed intent on leveling a foundation for our tent, but watching her turn jagged dirt into pavement with raw physical force made sorcery look completely redundant.
"Good. Now we simply need to gather some dry leaves to lay across the base. Shall we pitch the tent in earnest after that, Johann?"
"Ah, sure."
"Splendid. Shall we head into the forest, then?"
"Have a safe trip."
"...Hm?"
"...Pardon?"
"Are you not coming?"
"Do I have to?"
The woods are dangerous!
"Does seeing an Imperial Princess labor with her own hands stir no thoughts whatsoever within you?"
"I am in utter awe, Your Highness! Your noble display of leading by example for the people truly reflects the magnificent spirit of a sovereign ruler!"
"How wonderfully flattering. In that case, you may fulfill your duty as a loyal subject."
"Yes, ma'am..."
And so, seized firmly by the scruff of my neck, I was hauled into the depths of the forest by Lobelia.
By the time she dragged me deep into the secluded foliage where not a single soul was in sight, I could no longer hold my tongue.
"Your Highness, even at this very moment, Cult could be hatching some sinister plot. Wouldn't it be wiser to keep at least one person by his side to watch him?"
In truth, my real grievance was why the hell are you only picking on me? But my logic was sound, wasn't it? Could we really afford to leave that bastard Cult completely unsupervised? And for that matter, why hadn't she dragged Dietrich along instead? That guy was infinitely better at manual labor than I was. Between a black ox and a gray ox, everyone knew the stronger ox plows better!
"Worry not. With so many onlookers present, he would never dare act rashly. Furthermore, though you may not have noticed, Ariel and my subordinates have been keeping constant watch over him."
"Well, I figured they'd be somewhere nearby."
I had no exact headcount on the Princess's retainers. There were plenty of playable characters in the game alone, to say nothing of the small army of unnamed extras at her beck and call. It proved she was actively preparing for the future in her own way, but... still, knowing someone was constantly watching from the shadows was distinctly unsettling.
"Now then, this should be far enough."
"Yes, Your Highness. Speak your piece."
The fact that she had isolated me out here meant she had something private to say. While I had grumbled internally because a private audience was the last thing I wanted, now that I was already out in the middle of nowhere, playing hard to get served no purpose.
"Come out," Lobelia commanded.
"Pardon?"
"Not you. Your friend. Her name was... Yuna, was it? If you do not reveal yourself by the count of three, I shall break Johann's limbs one by one."
"Excuse me?!"
Me?! Why take it out on me?!
"One. Two—"
"Puhihi!"
Promptly answering Lobelia's summons, Yuna hopped down gracefully from the canopy above.
Whoa... this lunatic...
Where the hell had she been hiding? She had been following us this closely the entire time?!
"Ah, so you were there. Do not be on guard; my threat just now was merely in jest," Lobelia remarked.
"Yup, I figured! You do love picking on Johann, after all, Your Highness!"
I had wondered why her presence felt so faint earlier, but had she erased her presence and trailed behind us all along? Come to think of it, I hadn't seen her since we unpacked the tents... Her absence had blended so seamlessly into the background that even I had momentarily forgotten she existed. For the first time in a while, I was reminded of why she was revered as the Safe Clown.
"Greetings, Third Princess. But how did you notice me? You didn't seem to have sensed my presence directly."
"Indeed. It is truly an astounding concealment art. I was never able to pinpoint your location. However, I simply found the whole situation suspect—namely, that Johann could possibly have a friend."
"Ah! Well, you can't blame yourself for that one!"
"Excuse me, what kind of conversation are you two having right now?!"
Was it really so shocking that I had a friend? Sure, I might be a little prickly, but I wasn't an inherently bad person! The two people with the most glaring personality defects in the entire empire were treating me like the freak here...
"Well, I jest. Mostly. Though it is true that finding out you had a friend prompted me to look into her background. A transfer student appearing out of nowhere rather than an ordinary freshman was bound to raise suspicions."
"Ah, well, Yuna is..."
"You are an assassin, aren't you?" Lobelia cut in.
"I'm on hiatus at the moment! Making the most of my sweet academy life, you see," Yuna chimed.
"A fortunate circumstance, then. Having you as an adversary would prove... somewhat troublesome."
"Puhihi!"
At Lobelia's words, Yuna gave her usual silly, playful giggle. Fortunately, it seemed there wouldn't be any violent friction between the two.
"Do you have any interest in entering my service?" Lobelia immediately attempted to scout her.
"Ah, that's a bit... I'm a free spirit, you see."
"I see."
Yuna shook her head in refusal. Thankfully, Lobelia didn't appear inclined to push the matter aggressively. Or perhaps she was saving an offer I couldn't refuse for later?
"Then so be it. I merely wished to verify your motives since you seemed suspicious, but if you are truly just enjoying your student life, there is nothing more to be done."
Lobelia gave a casual shrug. Depending on how one interpreted her tone, she had essentially been prepared to eliminate Yuna right here in the woods if the answer had gone the other way. Yuna seemed to have caught onto that hidden threat as well, offering a sly, knowing smile in response.
"Ah, that reminds me—one more question. What is your relationship with Johann? You hardly seem like the sort of person who would have ties to him."
"Hmm..."
Yuna rested her chin on her hand and fell into thought. Was she debating how much she could safely disclose?
If she explained our initial meeting, she would inevitably have to reveal that she was the Safe Clown. It appeared Lobelia hadn't quite connected those dots just yet. Then again, who would ever believe that the most notorious, bloodthirsty assassin in history was this goofy schoolgirl? Even if told point-blank, it would be hard to swallow.
After pacing around with her chin propped in contemplation for a few moments, Yuna drifted closer to me and broke into a bright, wicked grin.
"Right now? An extramarital affair, maybe?"
"Wait, what...?"
Yuna casually hooked her arm through mine.
Lobelia stared at me in stunned silence, completely at a loss for words.
And I, for my part, forgot how to breathe.
"Johann... you..."
"It's not what you think! She's joking! As for how I met her—"
"Whoa, are you seriously going to blab just like that? Without even asking for my consent?"
"You're the one who threw the first punch!"
Under normal circumstances, I would happily safeguard her secret, but she had just buried a dagger right between my shoulder blades!
"She's the Safe Clown."
"..."
Despite my desperate, frantic explanation, Lobelia merely stared at me with wavering, wide eyes.
Her voice trembled as she spoke.
"...Y-You always manage to exceed my expectations, Johann. Even I... have no idea how to process such a thing. Ahem!"
"No, what on earth are you imagining right now?! I told you, it's not like that!"
"O-Of course! I know that! D-Did I say anything? I didn't say a word!"
"..."
Whatever wild scenario she had conjured in her head, Lobelia rambled incoherently, her face flushing crimson down to her neck.
Seeing her this thoroughly flustered was a first even for me, leaving me utterly speechless.