Newbie Gacha (7) [<em>Newbie Guidebook 3</em>]

The knights couldn't hide their bewilderment as the ground suddenly froze over. Beatrice poked just her face out from her hiding spot, scanning the surroundings. Rihaton and Dsen approached, their faces full of panic.

"Betty. You wouldn't happen to know something about this, would you?"

"I-I don't know anything."

"You a spy or something?"

"I swear on the goddess, no!"

"Then why are you the only one digging into the ground?!"

'Because that's what it said to do...'

Beatrice felt deeply wronged, but she shared the info right away.

"This has to be training."

"Training?"

The other knights crowded around Beatrice too.

"Yeah. If it wasn't training, why would they change the weather like this?"

The knights exchanged wide-eyed glances. True—if this weren't training, the alarm would've blared by now.

"So what do we do from here?"

"I recommend digging a pit..."

"Why? That won't help much with the cold."

'Because Sisilia wouldn't end it with something this simple.'

Beatrice shrouded her head in a circular barrier of light blessing, her eyes clouded with worry.

And her prediction was spot on.

"Look over there!"

"Gasp!"

Countless ice spikes floated in the sky. Beatrice paled and ducked back into her pit.

Sisilia watched the scene unfold, Lude clutched in her arms.

"Heh—the blonde knight's got some chops. Sharp judgment."

"Betty's the strongest."

"High praise from you, Lia? But—"

Lude's beaming smile turned icy cold.

"The rest are pathetic."

BOOM—!

The newbies scattered in blind panic, no order or discipline in sight. Good thing Sisilia had set the spikes' hardness low—otherwise, a few would've been skewered.

"They're newbies."

Sisilia wasn't too fussed. This was just the opening salvo to seize the initiative. Without some pressure, they wouldn't show their true potential.

"Sorry for stealing your break time. I know you've been busy."

Lude, who had been frowning deeply, broke into a grin at Sisilia's words.

"Nah. Casting magic like this now and then is a nice change of pace."

"In that case, one more favor?"

"Huh?"

"Mix in a few real ones."

Lude fell silent for a beat, then looked up at Sisilia.

"...Huh?"

"Training should be like the real thing. Famous saying, right?"

"No... if you mix in real ones, it is the real thing."

"Pretty please."

"W-Well, if it's a request from Lia, I guess I have no choice."

'...Is this okay?'

Lude had no choice but to extend his hand into the air.

'Still, if they can't handle this much, they'd be 100% dead on a real battlefield.'

The spikes, which had felt like getting clubbed before, now brimmed with lethality. A hit to a vital spot could be fatal. The number was small, but the fact that real ones were mixed in was key.

"Then I'll..."

"What more are you gonna do from here?!"

Lude recoiled at the ominous surge of mana. As Sisilia half-drew her sword with a shing, he grabbed it with both hands and pressed down.

"?"

"I-If you do that too, the kids'll die. They're just newbies, after all."

Lude forced an awkward smile. Calming Sisilia down came first.

"People who die from just this much?"

Lude's eyes went wide.

'Wr-Wrong move. Sisilia...'

She didn't understand the weak's mindset. Because she'd never been weak.

At just six years old, she'd turned the knight order upside down.

'Captain...! There's a serious problem with her upbringing!'

But the one-and-only Sword Princess, peerless from infancy, didn't get it. With a clear expression, Sisilia pointed her sword at the sky and called out.

The ice spikes alone were threat enough. Add a massive storm on top, and it was hell for the newbies.

THUD—!

"Wh-What was that just now?"

A massive crater scarred the ground. The ice spikes were numerous but brittle, easy to shatter. But that one wasn't.

"Looks like some tough ones got mixed in."

Once they realized a stray hit could kill, the knights snapped to attention. They'd clawed their way into the Windsor Knights—no way they'd die here.

"Those ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with defensive blessings, put up barriers! Everyone else, knock ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠'em down with your swords!"

Rihaton took charge. With his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠iron wall blessing, he blocked the most ice, naturally becoming the newbies' leader.

With a chain of command set, their response was orderly. These were soldiers at heart—following orders was second nature.

Once they handled the ice decently, the hellish barrage finally stopped.

"Huff—pant—"

Dozens of knights collapsed on the spot, exhausted. The cold stiffened their bodies, and any glancing hit hurt double. Beatrice's light blessing kept clearing status ailments, or it'd have been a nightmare.

Anyway.

"It's finally over."

A knight sighed in relief—drawing stares from everyone.

"Wh-Why are you looking at me? No way there's more here, right?"

Now all eyes turned to Beatrice. The others were covered in wounds, but she was pristine. A bit tired-looking, sure, but intact. Thanks to that pit.

Unlike the others blocking every angle, she just sealed one spot.

"Betty! What do you think comes next?"

"...This is probably just the start?"

Beatrice mumbled awkwardly, digging her pit deeper with a trowel.

"Why keep digging?!"

"Just the start?! What does that mean?!"

Beatrice timidly piled dirt right in front, then explained.

"Sisilia gave me this book, and it said..."

The knights pondered her words.

"Weaknesses, huh."

"...Yeah, like we don't have a ton."

Exactly. Surviving the ice storm had drained their stamina and rattled their nerves.

"What's your take?"

Eyes locked on Beatrice again. She spoke uncertainly.

"Sisilia wouldn't make it too complicated."

"Then."

"Next is probably cold-related? It's freezing."

Spot on. Endless chill rose from the snowfield-turned plain and piled ice. Problem was, using blessings to block it would burn their scant remaining mana.

"Yeah. High chance it's cold-related."

"Start a fire?"

"Good call!"

They chopped wood from nearby woods, stacked it high, and Beatrice focused her light into a spark to ignite it.

"Ahh, finally livable."

"Lucky us. We can handle the cold now."

Confidence swelled. Teamwork yielded progress. They realized how vital it was not to be alone. In that short time, camaraderie bloomed—tinged with rivalry.

'No wonder she joined via official test.''Only one in the Windsor Knights under Sisilia directly.'

Gazes toward Beatrice grew odd. Same newbie batch, yet she already seemed ahead.

Whoooosh—

A bone-chilling gale pierced them. As shivers hit, the wind intensified.

"Here it comes!"

"Blizzard! Brace!"

"The fire! It's going out!"

Too late to save it. The brutal blizzard blinded them—no spark in sight.

"Damn it! Cute face aside, she's a total demon!"

Dsen couldn't hold back. Beatrice paled, hands trembling.

"What's wrong?"

Dsen followed her pointing finger. Sisilia stared right behind them. Dsen fainted standing up.

Sisilia felt a twinge of conscience seeing the shivering knights.

'Too much?'

But this was necessary to cut fatality rates. Most field deaths for newbies came from failing to show their true strength. Many crises were beatable with proper blessing use, but panic clouded judgment or broke focus, leading to doom.

It was tragic.

"Like the picnic spot?"

"Yes!"

They gritted teeth against the cold and wind, barely standing.

"Glad you do. Took a lot of thought."

Sisilia chatted breezily, hands behind her back.

"You'll train with me here for two weeks."

"H-Here?!"

"Yep."

Horror at "two weeks" showed on their faces.

'That exciting? I get she's pretty.'

No doubt thrilled at personal guidance from the beautiful Sword Princess.

"Goal: survival. You'll fight demons in worse someday."

'Not the only reason for this setup, though.'

Sisilia had ulterior motives.

Extreme environment. Sure, Windsor Knights needed to handle it. But it was rare. These were newbies—advanced-demon dungeons that warped weather were beyond them yet.

So why subject them ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to this brutality?

'Got 'em all gathered—time to roll the gacha.'

Newbie gacha! Blessings varied wildly in power and limits. Sisilia didn't know them all. And now, with stamina rock-bottom, was perfect to test limits.

Humans pushed to the brink unleashed impossible strength.

Sisilia wondered: 'How many will break through? Hope for lots of S-ranks.'

She truly wanted them stronger. So she said:

"Close your eyes, everyone."

"P-Pardon? Okay."

The newbies shut their eyes. Pitch black.

"That's your future."

"!"

'They're eating it up.'

Sisilia beamed. Five days of pondering for that joke. Perfect payoff.