Chapter 322
Chapter 322
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 322
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magical Noble Family
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"Just do it like always."
"P-P-Please...!"
Ullrike clutched his throat, looking like he was about to collapse. I grabbed his shoulder and nodded.
"Yeah, Luise. Just like always."
"We've only been in charge of this for less than a week...! What 'always'? No! What the hell is this all of a sudden?! Why are they making us verify our method?!"
I was rediscovering just how loud he could be, right up there with Elias. Watching the high schooler next to me writhing like he was dying... I sympathized, but it still drained my energy. Before my soul could slip away entirely, I smiled and lightly pinched his cheeks.
"Luise."
Only then did Ullrike shut his mouth.
"Even if we mess up, we'll all handle it together. So calm down first and let's go in."
"......"
Ullrike blinked, then slowly nodded.
"Yeah."
*Ding!*
*[Favorability +1]*
*'Now...?*
Thanks.... No mission to raise favorability, but seeing this pop up meant he was settled. I quickly let go and shifted the topic a bit.
"Still, it's good that the 98th Batch A-Team is going first."
"True. I was worried they'd just blast away with guns again... but this time it's Mimesis."
They will. That's the key to cutting time.
I led Ullrike and the others to seats in the training ground that resembled an arena. Elias, who had been grinding his teeth—not from cold or fear, but from competitive fire burning in his eyes based on his expression—cast a soundproofing spell the moment I sat down and said,
"How we do today decides everything, right? It's so sudden, it's throwing me off."
"Yeah. Everyone has a rough idea of how the 98th Batch A-Team operates."
Which made proving our capabilities here the most important thing.
In terms of murder, not just the 98th Batch A-Team but the entire government was complicit. That's something I'd thought from the start. Among them, no magician harbors qualms about killing rampagers. They view rampagers not as humans but as monsters threatening the safety of the faithful. In this situation, preaching that killing is wrong is utterly pointless. No one here is ignorant of the wrongness of *murder*.
Consider the history of my old world. Just a bit further in this era, arguments to prevent the 'wrong' from reproducing sweep through America and Germany. Mass sterilizations of criminals and the mentally handicapped are carried out. This spares their future children a lifetime of misfortune and prevents impure genes from spreading in the nation—that was early 20th-century eugenics logic. No need to delve into how much it drew from confirmation-biased studies. Crucially, those involved in these decisions weren't psychopathic murderers thrilled by killing. Not surprising. Don't we know Eichmann was a good neighbor?
Their reason for not seeing rampagers as people isn't much different from our history. With humanity's standards fixed, rampagers are already subhuman. I'm up against the 98th Batch A-Team and Albert Mecklenburg on the surface, but really, it's their entire ethical framework. That's why I need the whole Special Operations Command on my side.
"Can we watch from here too?"
The 98th Batch C-Team leader approached the preparing 98th Batch A-Team from afar and asked. Mecklenburg glanced at him and replied lightly,
"Do whatever."
"Nice, being top of the performance charts."
"......"
Mecklenburg answered the C-Team leader's teasing with a smile, then led his team down to the training ground.
*[3, 2, 1. Begin.]*
The Mimesis announcement wasn't much different from the school's. Makes sense, since professors made it. A round screen-like view appeared before us, showing forest and fields. Elias whispered from the seat next to me,
"Oh. Countryside. This is straight out of Leo Field."
I nodded.
The six magicians weren't paired up but positioned in a hexagon across different spots. The Grade 3 rampager, sprinting from the start, let out a roar without giving prep time and leaped down the hill almost flying. Faster than magicians usually run with mana in their legs. The six 98th Batch A-Team magicians maintained formation while chasing it. The two right beside the rampager twirled their wands, switching to staves.
*'Those two take the initiative... and act as anchors.'*
They hold the center, while the front and rear pairs with wands still ready handle variables. Erich Reichenau was at the rear, Mecklenburg at the front. Made sense, as they were the team's standouts, justifying the split.
Analyzing their movements, I replied to Elias's whisper,
"For the 98th Batch, this open plain is actually a disadvantage."
Obstacles slow rampagers and give encirclement chances.
So, dropped in this unfavorable field, the 98th Batch's course was clear. They'd improvise obstacles.
Mecklenburg's unique ability, as I knew, manipulated water kinetics. Think telekinesis but only for water. Poor synergy with rampager disposal due to vitriol spread risk. Erich Reichenau—the 98th Batch vice-leader—had a similar ability, but his froze liquids.
*Boom!!*
Erich Reichenau stomped the ground. It hardened like ice, quickly freezing even the vitriol the rampager had spilled. That kept their secondary damage low. Absorbed into soil, you'd need divine magicians or scrape 10cm deep; freezing lets you just snap off the vitriol.
*'Why not freeze the rampager too?'*
Simple answer: Couldn't match its speed or predict direction. Not adept at wide-area spells either. Even if frozen, contact time was too brief. Looked like they needed ground mediation for full deployment. Freezing internal water? Seemed impossible too.
*'...Yeah, untrained unique abilities are hard on living targets. More surprisingly... they're defense-focused.'*
I'd figured the guy who always made them grovel would strut most in the field, but defense first. Of course, the other five weren't aggressively attacking either. Everyone here knew why.
Recalling researched names and reps, I asked,
"Who's Nina Mackensen? Know her?"
"The orange blonde whose hat flew off... probably?"
Elias answered vaguely. The lanky newbie without a hat swung her staff. A barrier wall rose along the rampager's path. Nina Mackensen yanked the staff back...
The barrier tilted, slamming down. Vitriol melted the barrier mana like water instantly, but no one panicked. Others layered barriers on top repeatedly. The six-way barrage seemed burdensome; the rampager changed tactics. Its thick legs slammed the ground. We heard an artificial boom.
*Boom!*
Not Mecklenburg—a teammate fired all six revolver cartridges into the rampager's leg. Roars started from the fourth shot.
Mecklenburg snapped his fingers. In a blink, from 200m away, he stood atop the rampager. Vitriol blackened the area, hard to see, but he reinforced his body shield, kicked the thrashing rampager sideways to face the sky, and in another blink, his staff pierced its heart.
*Beep—*
"...3 minutes 17 seconds."
Ullrike's dazed voice came. The announcement followed: 3 minutes 17 seconds.
The 98th Batch A-Team clapped lightly. Near-silence from 98th Batch B-Team and 101st Batch seats, while all 91st Batch teams let out ambiguous sighs of impressed acknowledgment. Big batch gap meant no real rivalry. Not everyone relaxed, though.
*'...Yeah, fast.'*
Had to be. Tools helped.
Excluding their 10-minute demo drag for us, they'd wrap quick like this. As felt gripping the revolver, those cartridges were artifacts. Normal bullets would've melted instantly. Immense mana compressed into fingertip-sized cartridges disrupted the rampager's mana flow and shredded flesh—like metal slugs on baseline humans.
*'Hmm...'*
Gotta leverage that somehow.... I watched the 98th Batch A-Team return, thinking.
91st Batch A- to C-Teams seemed fine. I focused on their talk.
"...They do use firearms aggressively. But even all using guns... doesn't explain that speed."
"Gotta try. They train formations around guns; maybe we underused them treating as magic support."
"Yeah, simplest to copy. Overwhelm with volume, pin, smash core."
"101st didn't get guns. Not that D-Class means bad skills, but they lack combat experience, and even if the vice-leader strategizes..."
Soundproofing went up after.
Predicting the rest: '98th Batch alone seems enough?' Most likely. Friends' faces hardened similarly. As always, Cherlingen and Narke wore ambiguous smiles. Elias, staring ahead, rubbed his chin.
"Something's off."
They set this up to see 98th Batch A-Team's way from the start. Watching 101st was iffy. Since 98th matched expectations, 91st had no reason to react negative.
"Shoulders feel heavy..."
Ullrike tilted his head, rising slowly. Situation wasn't friendly, but we had to clash.
I'd psyched up resolutely descending, but friends wouldn't follow my lead.
"Of all things! Urban! We've never finished fast in cities unlike countryside!"
Elias flailed, yelling. Good no broadcast yet; wouldn't leak outside Mimesis. Even as Leo pressed his shoulders, Elias pointed around wildly.
"Roads! People! Evac! Carriages!"
"Yeah, got it...."
Word salad, but intent clear. 98th got empty rural field, no civvie protection needed; we do, so harder. Fine. Alerts meant most evacuated. Just avoid breaking windows.
*'At least outdoors is a mercy.'*
No wasting one's unique ability. Elias was venting frustration; not one to panic easy.
"Guys."
Scanning the field, I said,
"No need to copy 98th Batch A-Team exactly. No need for under 3 minutes. Fields adjust times naturally."
"So."
"Don't obsess over time."
"Is that talk or fart...? We got called second for slightly longer times."
"......"
Ullrike behind, rubbing hands, stifled a laugh at Elias's half-joking jab. Good, tension easing.... I chuckled dryly, fake-flicked Elias's forehead, hand to mouth for quiet. Friends sobered, gathered close.
"Leo."
I looked at opposite Leo, signaling command to him. Public handover from vice-leader might bruise ego, but Leo nodded. With permission, I told friends,
"Demoing our usual way risks issues."
"Right. Our faster-than-average times came from efficient teamwork, not special factors."
Cherlingen got it, replying. I smiled, agreeing.
"Yeah. So don't forget: We're here to teach seniors. The most intuitive, efficient method gets adopted."
"......"
"We lack easy-to-copy points everyone can follow. 98th Batch A-Team has simple guns. Obvious winner."
Heike half-lidded blankly as usual; others just tightened lips, no big reaction. Ullrike brooded fittingly. But all sensed the issue like him, unvoiced.
Raised problem; time for solution. Meeting eyes calmly, I said,
"So, from now, we'll benchmark 98th Batch A-Team."
* * *
*[3, 2, 1. Begin.]*
*Beep—*
Albert Mecklenburg sat, eyeing the arena.
Finally done bickering with 101st. No one here doubted training would unify under 98th Batch A-Team methods soon.
But end not till over, so willing to watch 101st.
Mimesis showed some imperial city. Houses and shops everywhere. Two, two, two, one. Rampager, overwhelmed by clutter, glanced wildly unsure direction. 101st split four ways around the still wandering rampager.
Who moves first.
Mecklenburg's gaze hit Narke Farnese. As if signaled, the Papal State friend slammed his staff. Mecklenburg stifled a laugh at the sight.
Blinding divine power blanketed the Mimesis city. Then Ascanien's red mana wrapped the sky. Vitriol couldn't exit Ascanien's dome now. Low secondary damage in 101st cleanups owed to these two juniors.
"They practiced mana compliance, huh. And that's... Ascanien, right?"
C-Team leader beside nodded at Mecklenburg knowingly. Mecklenburg nodded back sans words. Dome size and height no joke. Maintaining while attacking? Beyond normal skill or mana. Only Adrian Ascanien level might...
Divine power hit; rampager roared, bolting down the avenue. Simultaneously, city greened: plants covered building windows/doors. Ascanien spoke right away.
*[Who by wisdom numbers the clouds? Who pours heavenly vials to make dust mud, lumps stick?]*
*Boom—*
Ascanien's special spell formula rippled the ground. No—piled vitriol lumped human-shaped, charging rampager. Animalistic roars scraped eardrums nonstop. Meanwhile, two Yonkers dashed from opposite with swords.
"Mimics Adrian. Personality too?"
"......"
"You and that junior on bad terms? I can smooth if needed."
The Imperial Magic Alliance's big issue: Most same-batch from Education 3rd, spoke casually. Mecklenburg ignored C-Team leader, analyzing.
*'Diverting rampager attention, maybe.'*
Sloppy. Just angers it; real Adrian Ascanien wouldn't choose this. Blocking secondary damage lets dawdle? Narke Farnese could've ended quick with divine formula—why not...
*'Reason to avoid divine reliance clear.'*
It's 101st's unique edge. Leonard Wittelsbach's plant control is unique too, but other teams have good unique users. Leonard's impressive, but team-gap explainable; divine isn't. Benchmark for all teams? Divine kills 101st appeal.
But doomed. 101st lacks universal, effective pitch for 91st anyway.
*Boom—*
*[Graaaah! Aaaah!]*
*'Already 2 minutes in.'*
Mecklenburg tapped armrest. Near 5 minutes failing? Plan? Fixed on Ascanien.
Ascanien, leisurely, counted floors with fingers, made a midair platform. Stepped up to roof, knelt one knee, doffed hat. Adjusted mana at wand tip, smiled. Fingertip-and-half bell-shaped mana clump formed at wand end. Red mana crackled like fire nonstop. Mana sparking meant dynamic flow; yet clump looked utterly still. Mecklenburg squinted at it.
"......"
Took no time recognizing shape. Quiet Ascanien murmured low.
*[Elias.]*
Despite naming 'Elias,' magicians at road forks herded rampager like drovers one way. Hoenzollern leaped roofs like Ascanien.
*'Huh.'*
Hoenzollern's moves irrelevant now. Mimicking revolver cartridge with gathered mana? Good try. Could one match gov-issued artifact via wand-optimized magic? Even if, laughable after anti-gun stance...
*Quagooom— Boom!!*
Now copying us?
"...!"
Mecklenburg winced at first post-start roar. Teammates recoiled too. Screen whited out with boom. Rampager's ragged inhale, roar cut; screen lingered white. Staff slam heard. Then pained rampager cry returned.
*[....Aaaah! Gahk....]*
*Beep—*
*[3 minutes 31 seconds elapsed.]*
"......"
Mecklenburg stared blankly.
Our time still shorter. But seconds irrelevant; everyone knew.
"Gun-heavy, yet lost to that Ascanien too."
C-Team leader chuckled. Screen whiting hid climax, but vets like us knew process. C-Team leader got what Ascanien/101st did; Mecklenburg too.
91st magicians murmured.
"Installed barrier, shattered it point-blank. Right?"
"Looked it."
Elias Hoenzollern's vast mana for barrier; right after, Ascanien hit concentrated with that mana clump like ours. Blinding light/sound, massive mana-shatter shock, disorienting vibes. Tailored to rampager senses—many organs wrecked, so one-strike multi-sense assault. Used my revolver bullets as mana clumps essentially, but not direct body shot. Direct risks permanent non-mana damage like bullets.
But 91st talk missed core. Wrong track.
Ascanien showed simplest way to disrupt Grade 3+ rampager senses at once. Crucial for 91st and 'unify rampager disposal' agenda. 101st matched gun-speed suppression sans guns, universally copyable.
No one'd miss this calculus. In short.... Mecklenburg stared ahead, murmuring low,
"Simple."
And now, simplicity was mandatorily needed— the decisive issue.