Chapter 351
Chapter 351
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 351
Chapter Title: Seizing Command
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"......"
Hm.
Command authority.
Huh?
The heads of my 101st Batch comrades all swiveled toward me. Leo and Cheringen stared at me with uncharacteristically wide eyes. The five 98th Batch A-Team seniors who'd come here with Mecklenburg were equally dumbfounded by the insane declaration, gaping blankly at me.
"A fly could fly into your mouth and you wouldn't notice."
As I stood there with my jaw hanging open, Mecklenburg jerked his chin and threw my own words back at me. But right now, that wasn't the issue....
'No, wait a second.'
What had I just heard? I hurriedly gathered my thoughts and forced out words that at least sounded human.
"Your Excellency, this is not the time to change the chain of command."
[Wouldn't they just bring a more efficient plan and argue against it anyway if I gave the order?]
"......"
I couldn't deny it.... He was saying it with full confidence that it would happen, so denial wasn't an option. But I didn't always spout perfect answers, and he could be right sometimes, couldn't he? The moment that thought crossed my mind, he continued.
[As a senior, this might sound irresponsible. This isn't a decision made lightly. Setting aside matters of pride, the ultimate responsibility for the command authority I've delegated lies with me. I know full well that handing an overly heavy burden to a much more junior officer like you, who isn't in a position for it, is what's happening here. This decision might look like a hasty abandonment of the immediate duties and responsibilities I should rightfully shoulder.]
"......"
[Even so, the reason I'm saying this now is one you understand well: we're at a crossroads.]
Exactly. We were at the moment of deciding whether to drag the entire Munich-Frising allied diocese here or not.
[I know you're in a position where you still have much to learn. But I also know that the successes you've shown before weren't just beginner's luck. To put it bluntly, I don't believe my plan can save more lives and kill more enemies than yours.]
He knew I lacked field experience but acknowledged my strategy's success—that was the gist. I was truly grateful for the high praise, but this was so unexpected that my mind was a whirlwind.
[98th Batch A-Team Leader, 101st Squadron Leader. 101st Deputy Squadron Leader for field command authority transfer—any objections?]
"None."
The responses came simultaneously, without a hint of hesitation. With no further words, I knew it was my turn to reply. At that moment, Mecklenburg tapped the artifact by his ear to cut the comms and gestured for me to do the same. Once I followed suit, he spoke calmly.
"Accurately judging your subordinates' capabilities is a quality every superior must have. For the top field commander, it's the most crucial ability of all."
Then, rubbing his face, he muttered in a sinking voice.
"...Well, you already know that without me saying it."
"......"
"If this operation goes south, the blame falls on His Excellency Hohenstaufen for handing over full command to you. If you're worried about us 101st Batch folks getting punished, don't be—there's no time for that, so decide quickly."
"...Senior, you think just like a senior. That's part of the problem, but don't you ever feel burdened knowing that if I slip up even a little, others might suffer and get punished?"
When I pressed him on it, I could see the 98th Batch A-Team members looking at me in utter bewilderment. To them, me talking back to Mecklenburg like this must have been completely alien. Ignoring it all, Mecklenburg finally made an "oh crap" face.
I tapped my artifact again to reconnect to the all-channel comms and announced.
"37th Squad. As of this moment, the 101st Deputy Squadron Leader has assumed field command authority."
[...Huh?]
[Ascanien?]
Confused questions came from teams that hadn't cut their artifacts in time. Even command HQ's strategy room went silent for a beat before repeating my exact words to everyone.
[From 37th Squad onward, the 101st Deputy Squadron Leader assumes total command of the Corvignano coordinates.]
Someone from the 98th Batch urgently called out to Mecklenburg.
"Squadron Leader."
"I already said no objections."
The guy raised his wand to cast a sound barrier. Realizing what he was doing, Mecklenburg shattered it instantly and glared sharply at his team members as usual.
"Didn't you see what happened to the Brandenburg Grand Diocese?"
"......"
"You weren't there, but I was. In this situation, His Excellency Albertiina Hohenstaufen's decision is the best choice."
I could see Leo's brow furrowing.
'...Impressed...'
Though a bit scary. What did he eat to suddenly go all out like this? I wasn't the only one thinking it—everyone here seemed to share the sentiment. The expressions on the 98th Batch A-Team and my comrades' faces were priceless. From their perspective, the guy who'd been drilling them with "intensive training"—really just mental conditioning—a few days ago was now doing this; it was beyond comprehension. Mecklenburg whipped his head toward me and snapped.
"This isn't the time to stand around gawking. Like you said, the bishop squad might have already left this field to call for reinforcements. We need to adjust our strategy accordingly—think fast."
He was right. Chasing around an empty field like rats after the bishop squad had slipped away was a path to failure. We had to start from where they might have gone. I manipulated my artifact to connect to 91st Batch A, then looked at Leo and Mecklenburg in front of me and spoke.
"Now we need to clearly separate what we can do from what we can't. First off, we can't smash this space magic and make it vanish entirely. Correct?"
"Correct."
Mecklenburg answered curtly.
Why couldn't we? Just like studying principles is key in learning, blindly accepting we can't break it means we can't adapt any clues or form a proper strategy. So let's go through it step by step from the start. What we know: you can't warp into a space created by space magic.
That's not because warp magic is inherently impossible—it's that plugging in a point P0(a, b, c) into our known warp formula won't get you to P1(a, b, c). Instead, we can use another coordinate like (0, b, c) to reach R0. It's an oversimplified analogy that's worryingly crude, so let's try another: it's like spreading out two maps of the same space and marking a spot on Map 1—the ink lands on Map 1, not Map 2. Even if you overlay them, the ink stays on Map 1. In magic studies, we conveniently call this 'different coordinate systems.' Thus, all space magic creates a new coordinate system.
Now, consider Mecklenburg's claim. Earlier, he said this place wasn't just overlaid space but felt like a solidly constructed new coordinate system. But space magic creates new coordinate systems, so isn't his claim spot on? How can it not be A when it is A?
First off, 'coordinate system' and 'solid coordinate system' aren't synonymous academically.
Second, as always, academic definitions have a gap from real life. If I slam my staff down right now and deploy a 1-meter-diameter space magic, academically it's a new coordinate system, but in practice, we wouldn't call it 'building a new coordinate system.' Such spells are short-lived, one-off, and have abysmal safety against internal/external shocks. In real-world ops, saying 'building a new coordinate system' usually means something as precise as our government's Imperial Standard Warp Coordinates or the Phleroma system—long-lasting, non-disposable, safe enough for habitation against shocks. Only then do we call it a 'newly constructed precise coordinate system.'
So by Mecklenburg's logic, this field before us is like someone from the bishop squad placing a 'new coordinate system' on top of the 'Corvignano coordinate system' map.
'No, more precisely.'
It's like carving out part of the original map, inserting another map in its place, and fusing them into one seamless map.
Why? We said earlier you can't warp into space-magic spaces. Warping to unknown coordinates is normal impossibility, but we warped here using archive coordinates— so the only explanation for this major variable is that someone in the bishop squad sandwiched another coordinate system between ours. Let's confirm it solidly. I turned to Narke and asked.
"By Sir Farnese's judgment, is there mental manipulation drug dissolved in this space's air? Given the expanded distance between coordinates, it must be diluted, I assume."
"Hm... Yes, there is. Heavily diluted, but still."
Good. Proof complete. Up to here, we've reviewed space magic theory and speculated on unique abilities. Unfortunately, our info is woefully insufficient, so we have to squeeze every drop from these clues.
'Hm... If Narke could smash the Phleroma coordinates like she did before, that'd be perfect.'
But she can't—that's why it's failed already, and why Mecklenburg even guessed it might be a unique ability for space magic. Can't move it, can't break it....
Alright. Now I face a fork in the road. Let's check it. I took a breath and spoke quickly.
"Command HQ tests really come in handy at times like this. How many minutes since we entered the archives?"
[Three minutes now.]
"Send a team that can arrive immediately right here."
[Sending 91st Batch B to Corvignano 790:345:495.]
[Moving out.]
The responses came from both sides with a slight delay. Ulrike, who'd been next to Heike but had sidled up behind me, whispered tensely.
"You won't explain your entire thought process... right?"
"No, I can't. We'll debrief after."
"...Okaay...."
Ulrike rolled her eyes in response. Thoughts form in an instant, but conveying them to others takes dozens of times longer—no time for full explanations now. But I knew exactly why she was asking. Her anxious expression screamed she wanted to fully internalize my strategy 200% to avoid screwing up here. I couldn't just brush that off. Smiling, I gripped her shoulder and whispered.
"No time for everything, but I'll tell everyone here what they absolutely need to know, so don't worry. And, Ulrike—remember what I said before?"
"......"
Even if you think you can't, we'll back you up.
I couldn't say something that soft outright in the heat of battle, but I didn't think being harsh now would help this 18-year-old unleash her full potential. Whether she recalled it or not—her face still tense but softer now—she managed a much gentler smile than before. That's when I spotted a faint glow in the distance.
[91st Batch B, arrived at Corvignano 790:345:495.]
"Hm."
Perfect. Got it.
From 91st Batch B's arrival, I decided which path to take at the fork. Spotting my expression shift, Leo and Mecklenburg started staring me down intently from that moment.
"Understood. 91st Batch B, stand by at your position. First, command HQ? Cease air manipulation at the Munich-Frising archives. If 98th Batch C exits the Munich-Frising archives, instead of returning to the building, they'll come straight to this field. So stay put there."
[...91st Batch B, stand by....]
[Relaying.]
Sounds of various people contacting their teams echoed. I tapped my artifact to include 91st Batch B in the channel and addressed the 101st Batch and 98th Batch A-Team around me.
"First, let's clarify this: combining 98th Batch B still being inside the Munich-Frising archives without floating away, and 91st Batch B arriving at this field—what does that tell us?"
"I said this isn't the time for capability tests."
Mecklenburg's cold voice cut in. He already knew the answer to my question, that's why. The others hadn't caught on yet. Even if I couldn't explain every thought process, they needed the basics to move efficiently. Leo, who'd been watching us expressionlessly, answered curtly.
"It means their unique ability has reached its limit."
I snapped my fingers and nodded. Even the few 98th Batch A-Team members and 101st comrades who'd looked dubious now understood Leo and me, straightening their expressions. Good—they got it without long explanations.
"They could keep generating space to ditch us, leaving 98th Batch B—who went searching for the bishop squad—in the archives like they did. If 91st Batch B hadn't arrived here, it would mean the bishop squad abandoned us in this field and fled elsewhere already. But since they didn't, the bishop squad is still here—high chance they'll stay for the next few minutes, and no reinforcements in that window."
"......"
"In other words, the ones isolated here are the bishops."
"Until some of them recover enough to redeploy space magic. And assuming being on this massive chunk—expanded 200 times between coordinates—counts as isolated, that is."
I nodded at Mecklenburg's signature slightly mocking addendum.
"Isolated is isolated. 200 times—now we can gauge the size. About a tenth of Berlin, I'd say."
"......"
"Target time: five minutes? I've rummaged through Berlin in seven—should be doable."
"...Even two minutes is too late."
"You sound confident."
I cut off Mecklenburg, who was getting cocky after I'd hyped him up. Showboating aside, yes, every second counted against unknown escape timing, but we had to consider their morale too.
"First, Farnese and Wittelsbach—you two are the core of this op from the 101st Batch. Plus, Excellency Alexandra Schumacher of the 91st has air manipulation ability. We'll reorganize around these three."
Then someone from the 98th Batch piped up urgently.
"Wait, five minutes is too tight. When Sir Ascanien did the command HQ test, there was a set answer and clues like newspaper articles—but now? No clues at all! This is real combat, not a test!"
Impressive—someone's morale cracking already at the mere mention of five minutes. And this after not objecting at all to the command handover between Mecklenburg and Hohenstaufen. Lost for words. I replied firmly.
"Five minutes is due to physical limits—we have no choice. But truthfully, like Excellency Mecklenburg said, they might bolt in two. And...."
I turned to Heike and continued.
"You say no clues are given, but I disagree. Sir Ainsidel."
"Yes."
"Do you know where the wind was blowing here three minutes ago—from where to where?"
At that, Heike snatched up some grass and closed her eyes. A moment later, she said quietly.
"...South to north. Same as now."
"Good. Now it's obvious where they have to flee."
If they want to escape without leaving mana traces, that is.
I smiled at the objector's panicked face. Then, raising my voice, I addressed everyone.
"His Excellency Albertiina Hohenstaufen, link up with Narke Farnese. Excellency Mecklenburg and I will link up with Wittelsbach. Split into west and east flanks, then move north."