Chapter 321
Chapter 321
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 321
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magical Noble Family
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Stay, you too.
It wasn't hard to guess the reason.
I debated whether to sit next to Leo, my fellow 101st Batch member, but ended up taking my previous seat for now... and that's when I faced a protest that wasn't quite a protest.
"...!"
Clunk—!
My knee jerked up involuntarily. As my knee hit the desk, everyone's eyes snapped back to me. The 91st Class Representative, who had been wearing her usual impassive expression all day, now looked uncharacteristically flustered as she asked,
"What is it?"
"......"
"Excellency Ascanien?"
"...No. Nothing."
I glanced toward Leo but took a deep breath. The moment I pulled out the chair at my seat and sat down, Leo's mana stabbed right into my core, forcing me to clamp my mouth shut. Leo, having done the stabbing himself, now stared at the 91st Class Representative with a face like nothing had happened.
In any case, the signal was clear. He wasn't saying we 101st Batch members had to huddle together—no joke, we were five chairs apart anyway—but he was warning me to stay alert, since this situation wasn't going to turn out kindly for me. Probably.
That was the most logical guess I could make, and if it wasn't the reason, I couldn't fathom why he'd jab me like that. True to form, Leo seemed to be imagining even the worst-case scenarios. My thinking differed from his. Sure, it wouldn't be a particularly friendly time for me, but I wanted to turn this moment into an opportunity right up to the end.
"Let's get into the reason I kept you all here today. We're reorganizing the teams to form a new organization composed solely of A-Class members."
"Pardon?"
The reflexive question came from the 98th Batch B-Team Leader. The 91st Class Representative glanced at him before continuing.
"I won't explain the purpose right now. What matters is that we can no longer afford delays, so we need to divide our 45 members into four ranks and select only the ten or so whose skills are proven—A-Class."
I exchanged a look with Leo.
I'd never suggested that 'need' to Abraham. I'd only asked for ranks to be created, not for a new team to be formed with them. Whatever they were scheming, the hastily devised evaluation system was shining now. As I thought that, another bolt-from-the-blue statement hit.
"Next, regarding berserker handling efficiency, we've gathered you here to hear about the 98th Batch A-Team's methods."
"......"
This was definitely the worst, just as Leo had anticipated. The direction was already diverging from what I'd expected, which was shocking in itself, and naming the 98th Batch A-Team specifically was another shock. But I couldn't just keep getting shocked, so I stayed silent and waited for him to continue.
"The 98th Batch A-Team's berserker handling time stands out remarkably. An average of four minutes. It drastically reduces damage to public facilities from vitriol, cutting post-processing costs to half the overall average. Another team shows unusual figures too, but they need verification first, so we'll set that aside. Most teams handle them within the recommended ten-to-fifteen-minute window. Thus, the Chief of Staff suggested that all three batches benchmark the most efficient method. There's more to convey on this, so to verify it, let's move right on."
Even amid the lavish praise for the 98th Batch A-Team, Albert Mecklenburg stared straight ahead without a flicker of expression.
"You know that evaluation ranks were set yesterday for the first time, leading to the Daeple Roma strategy game as our first group training. You heard that the top scorer challenged all sets and won every one. I proposed upgrading 98th Batch A-Team Vice Leader Erich Reichenau's training evaluation rank to A-Class, but Vice Leader Reichenau said something interesting. He claimed it was entirely Lucas Ascanien's merit and demanded Lucas Ascanien be upgraded to A-Class instead."
"......."
The gazes of the 91st Batch B-Team and C-Team Leaders, and the 98th Batch A-Team to C-Team Leaders, turned to me. Leo, five seats away, flicked his eyes toward me too. This much I'd anticipated. The 91st Class Representative, who had been reading from her document—perhaps with that story written down—raised an eyebrow and asked,
"Is it true that Excellency Ascanien achieved nine wins in nine matches?"
"......"
"We won't tolerate lies. Sub-players are participants too. No cheating occurred, so answer straight."
I'd figured they'd keep me to discuss yesterday's strategy game. Everyone here had faced me—or rather, 98th Batch A-Team Vice Leader Erich Reichenau—in that game yesterday, so it made sense they'd verify the rumors.
"Yes, ma'am. I did it."
"You're 101st Batch, right."
She put emphasis into pronouncing the three digits: 101.
"That's correct."
The 91st Class Representative clasped her hands and looked at the 91st Batch B-Team and C-Team Leaders. They exchanged glances with her. The icy atmosphere lingered, and I could sense it instinctively.
'As expected.'
Even if the rumors had spread, no one here was biting. They weren't blindly believing the 98th Batch Vice Leader and my words as lies, but they clearly thought they needed to double-check the truth. It was reasonable suspicion since they hadn't seen it with their own eyes.
"The soldiers present at the time corroborate the two vice leaders' claims. Unfortunately, I wasn't there, so I must approach this cautiously with more data. First, I'll ask 101st Batch Leader Leonard Wittelsbach."
"Yes."
"Victory in all matches isn't an achievement anyone can claim. Do you agree that yesterday's score was entirely Excellency Ascanien's merit?"
"I agree. Excellency Ascanien has the skill for it."
Leo answered immediately in his dry tone, without hesitation. The 91st Class Representative nodded and turned to the 98th Batch A-Team Leader at the table to her right, Albert Mecklenburg.
"98th Batch A-Team Leader Albert Mecklenburg, you've known Vice Leader Erich Reichenau for a long time, so you know him well. What do you think of Vice Leader Reichenau achieving the top rank in this training?"
"I'm concerned it might harm a comrade I've synced with for so long, but in my view, 101st Batch Vice Leader Lucas Ascanien's contribution was likely the greatest in this training's results. If ranks must be adjusted, it should be Ascanien 101st Batch Vice Leader's, not Reichenau's."
Mecklenburg replied calmly, his expression free of malice or anything else. I'd held no expectations for Albert Mecklenburg, but like the 98th Batch Vice Leader, he wasn't the type to fabricate lies. Those who resort to obvious lies for politics struggle to survive in it. Considering he was from a ruling family, had held the 98th Batch representative position without falling out, and factoring in the professors' evaluations of his character, his honesty wasn't all that surprising.
"Very well. Then, Excellency Ascanien. Finally, one last easy question for testing purposes."
"Yes."
At my response, the 91st Class Representative gave a faint smile, set down her paper, and spoke quickly.
"Currently, under your field of vision, there's an enemy force similar in size to our national army and the French army. Our national army infantry and mages have advanced and encountered a river. Naturally, the French have disabled all warp points across the river, so warping over isn't an option. If you lay a barrier over the river now and advance the infantry, the enemy mages will try to break it. Reinforcements are arriving soon, and you must use them to reduce the enemy numbers here. You have thirty seconds."
"......."
"Thirty."
Since they didn't see the strategy game, they'd test me directly like this... Maybe that's why Leo raised the alert—to prepare for questions like this.
The question had massive gaps. What kinds of soldiers compose each side? What measures has the enemy taken behind the river? What's their supply line like? Can we bypass this point? Crucially, why endure the river disadvantage to cross? Why not force their retreat instead of reducing numbers from this unfavorable spot? It was utterly absurd.
In short, this ridiculous question—a snippet ripped from some game board—was clear in intent. Even ignoring all that, it was about the 'most basic theory' response.
The river is key. Nothing else matters—not what kind of river, not the terrain around it. Grasp the intent, and it's over. The intent is so obvious it's almost mocking.
"...Twenty-seven. Twenty-six."
"Disperse the national army along the river to positions where quick return is possible, while making coordinated enemy attacks seem impossible. At least for the mages."
"......."
All eyes turned to me. I saw the 91st Batch B-Team and C-Team Leaders exchange glances, Leo lightly touching his mouth with his hand. The 91st Class Representative, who had been keeping her fingers folded, raised an eyebrow.
"Disperse. Attempting suicide with the river right in front... is that it?"
Theoretically, the attacker offsets the river's disadvantage with numbers and speed of assault. So my words of splitting those numbers would sound like that.
I'd answered vaguely with 'positions where quick return is possible, while making coordinated enemy attacks seem impossible,' but the reaction wasn't bad. The question was ambiguous, so no grounds to claim the environment couldn't satisfy those seemingly contradictory conditions. Now came the real answer.
"Deception is needed. Normally, river defense doesn't guarantee absolute victory for the defender, and breaching it often yields little advantage for the attacker. Breaking down your request, ma'am: hold the river against the French until our reinforcements arrive, without letting them step back or slip to a flank to attack us elsewhere."
Ignoring Mecklenburg's persistent gaze on me, I continued.
"In short, buy time. If the national army reaching the river deploys wrongly, the enemy won't miss the chance to strike us or defend the river effectively. Make the river give them a strong immediate advantage, so they feel they can win."
"......."
"At least if the enemy commander isn't paranoid."
"Hmm..."
The 91st Class Representative let out an enigmatic chuckle and nodded readily. She exchanged brief glances with the other two 91st Batch Leaders before replying.
"You grasped the question's intent in five seconds."
She fell silent first, and when no further words came, I answered briefly.
"You said it was an easy question at first, ma'am."
"No need to explain what wasn't said. Very well. For now, I must convey that your contribution to the first training results must be acknowledged."
With what needed conveying nearly done, she surveyed the room with a clearer expression than before.
"Now, let's return to the initial topic we couldn't fully address. The 101st Eschet's berserker handling time averages eight minutes. First dispatch: fifteen minutes. Next report: ten. Then eight, six, four, five... continuously shortening. Post-processing costs are below average too."
Dragging this topic back up suddenly... I fought to keep my gaze fixed ahead instead of turning to Leo. The 91st Class Representative addressed the six mages seated.
"With these stats, yesterday's training news, and what we've just seen and heard, we'll review the 101st Batch's berserker handling alongside the 98th Batch A-Team's. Do both teams agree?"
Mecklenburg's gaze swept lethally over Leo and me. It didn't take long for responses from him and Leo.
"Yes, ma'am."
* * *
Naruke, waiting outside, quickly caught up to us.
Watching Mecklenburg smile and greet the 98th Batch B-Team and C-Team Leaders, Naruke muttered quietly.
"He always thinks about you a lot."
"What kind? Thoughts of crushing me? Thoughts of embarrassing me in front of the 91st Batch? Thoughts of breaking me in training evals?"
"......"
My retort to Naruke's comment made Leo, standing beside me, exude exasperation. Naruke pondered a moment before chuckling.
"Better not to know. Too complicated to put into words."
"...What the hell. Then why say it..."
I'd wrung out the three worst possibilities I could imagine, and it was beyond even those? What was he thinking then? Naruke laughed lightly and patted my shoulder.
"Hahaha! Just from a spectator's view. Sorry. But it's not hugely different from your hypotheses."
"You're saying he overlays Adrian Ascanien onto me."
Naruke smiled and nodded.
I'd wondered if I was too hasty. Judging people rashly reveals your own image. We only know the world we've seen and project it onto others. After that shocking murder scene, I'd quickly judged Mecklenburg to grasp the situation, but speculating on a man I barely know is best avoided. Guesses about others reflect the guesser's life more starkly than the target's reality. In a word, you see what you are.
Mecklenburg's near-stubborn insistence on and justification for using fire magic could have various motives, and unlike my guess, it might not stem from inferiority toward Adrian Ascanien. Since I'd fixated on malice directed at me in my past life, maybe I'd simplistically dismissed his complex calculations as mere inferiority. That thought lingered.
So I was grateful for Naruke then. He cut through my obsessive possibilities.
Naruke continued.
"That's why it's not just blind dislike. You know?"
Not blindly hating because he overlays Adrian Ascanien on me. Ambiguous, but what I had to do remained unchanged. Anyway, now wasn't the time to dwell. I activated the communication artifact and asked Naruke,
"No new reports right now?"
"Nope."
"Figured."
All current reports would go to the 98th Batch B-Team and C-Team. Muttering that, I pressed on.
"Call the guys? We need to head to the training grounds right away."
No time to prepare.
The 91st Batch A-Team mage's words about comparing the 98th Batch A-Team and 101st Batch berserker handling processes were implemented immediately.