Chapter 20
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: The Glory Wall
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The cadets, including Tania and Abel, boarded a vehicle resembling an automobile and departed from the academy.
It was spacious enough for ten people and far faster than any carriage.
The interior of that transport vehicle was utterly quiet.
No one could easily open their mouths due to the inexplicably heavy atmosphere.
But that silence didn't last long.
"Um...."
In the midst of that mood, Daniel mustered his courage and spoke up.
"Isn't sightseeing the Glory Wall generally impossible? I heard it's an important military facility...."
Tania gave a simple answer to Daniel's question.
"Generally, yes. However, Del Modor Academy cadets are the exception. You'll all become Gigant riders and head to the front lines in the future."
With those words, an even deeper silence descended.
It was only natural that the tension on the cadets' faces grew thicker.
That was how immense the weight carried by the name "Glory Wall" truly was.
'In truth, the Glory Wall itself is practically a battlefield.'
Abel recalled the information from the game.
Every year, the special class cadets visited the Glory Wall at the start of the semester.
The reason was to instill a sense of vigilance in them.
The Glory Wall was a massive barrier that blocked enemies invading the empire, and battles frequently broke out there.
'There's probably fighting happening even now.'
Those living within the empire's high walls might not easily realize it, but this world was far from peaceful.
That was why they brought cadets here at the beginning of the semester.
By touring the place, the cadets could truly feel the weight of being a Gigant rider.
Of course, they couldn't let academy talents who hadn't learned properly yet get hurt, so it ended at just a tour.
The chances of anything dangerous happening were almost zero.
Generally speaking.
'But not this time.'
However, things didn't always go as planned.
In the game, an utterly unforeseen crisis struck during the tour, putting the cadets in grave danger.
And it wasn't some mere showy threat.
'There are three bad endings tied to this location alone.'
One slip-up, and the protagonist along with the key characters would die, ending the game right there.
It was only natural that Abel felt immense tension.
That said, the place didn't hold only crises.
'Every crisis comes with opportunities and rewards to match.'
That was the nature of this game from the start. Overcome the crisis well, and you'd gain greater rewards than usual.
Abel reviewed his plans, pulling out the information he already knew, his expression complicated.
How much time passed like that?
The mana car they were riding in began to slow down, then came to a complete stop.
"We've arrived."
They had reached their destination.
* * *
Del Modor Academy was thoroughly elitist.
First off, the treatment and support varied starkly based on skill.
Right from the entrance exams, only 40 top scorers were assigned to the upper class, where they could properly handle Gigants.
And even within that upper class, they selected the top eight to form the special class.
It was the epitome of meritocracy.
'That's why the special class gets so many more opportunities.'
Abel thought as he looked around.
Just this Glory Wall tour today was a privilege other cadets couldn't enjoy.
There would be a full-year tour later, but moving eight people versus forty made a huge difference.
"This way, please!"
As the cadets disembarked from the transport, a soldier in uniform greeted them.
At the soldier's gesture, the cadets walked toward him, tension evident on their faces.
They had arrived right in front of the Glory Wall, but other buildings blocked the view of it.
"Please enter here."
The soldier guided them with a stiff but considerate demeanor.
'The atmosphere's still fine.'
Abel subtly gauged the surroundings as he walked.
There were busy people moving about, but the mood wasn't particularly bad.
Proof that no major incident had erupted yet.
They hadn't gone far along the gray corridor when a door came into view in the distance.
Upon reaching it, the soldier spoke.
"Once you go out that door, keep your eyes open as you walk. Lose focus, and you might have an accident."
The soldier gave a few more precautions, then gripped the door handle.
The door slowly opened....
Noise poured through the gap, assaulting their ears mercilessly.
"N2 direction, transport cargo!"
"Damaged units incoming!"
Kwaaaaang-!
Thud! Thud! Thuuud-!
Shouts, the ground shaking. Explosions, and faint monstrous roars drifting in.
The source wasn't too close, but it was enough to feel the overwhelming pressure.
The cadets instinctively shrank back, but the soldier said calmly,
"It's just loud—no big deal. Now, follow me."
It wasn't a very convincing statement.
But with the soldier taking the lead, they had no choice but to follow.
They hadn't walked far behind him when the cadets' mouths fell open, as if they'd never cowered.
Their gazes fixed ahead—on a wall.
A barrier of such colossal length and height that "massive" fell short.
"This is the Glory Wall."
The soldier at the front spread his arms wide as he spoke.
His exaggerated posture went unnoticed by anyone.
The wall before them exuded such tremendous intimidation.
The Glory Wall.
This was the battlefield closest to the imperial capital, the barrier protecting it.
Clap-!
"Now, this way, please."
The soldier clapped to liven the mood, then led the cadets onward.
"Be careful following me. It's dangerous...."
Thud-! Boom!
The soldier's final words were drowned out by the immediate roar.
In the distance, dozens of Miles-grade Gigants marched in formation.
Behind them trailed several times more Titos.
Turning their heads slightly further revealed dozens of damaged Titos being moved aside.
Even the cadets who had stiffened at the initial noise and atmosphere now wandered around with sparkling eyes, gawking at the staggering number of Gigants.
"This is where Gigants await deployment."
The soldier led the cadets at a steady pace, introducing the base inside the Glory Wall.
"This is where damaged Gigants are repaired on the spot. Dozens of artisans stand ready...."
Battles raged outside, but touring this rear-area structure made it hard to fully grasp the atmosphere.
However, sending the special class cadets from the academy here wasn't for mere tourism.
After about an hour of tours and introductions, the soldier gave them a 10-minute break, then pointed to one side.
"Now we'll head up there."
They soon arrived at a tower near the wall.
It was quite tall—climbing to the top should offer a clear view beyond the wall.
"We'll take this up."
The tower seemed built purely for function; inside were rough stone stairs and gray walls.
The upward stairs were steep, but fortunately, the soldier headed not to them but to the elevator beside.
A mage waiting in the tower infused mana into the power source....
Whiiiiiir-.
The elevator carrying over ten people shot upward in an instant.
It soon stopped with another whirring vibration.
The lead soldier stepped forward immediately upon halting, continuing the tour.
The top floor was spartan but equipped with tables, chairs, and observation devices.
On one side, rows of deactivated Titos stood neatly. Nearby sat something like a round orb.
Abel noted it, then turned his gaze forward.
"Right here."
The soldier walked ahead and stopped before a large glass window. Given the location, it surely wasn't ordinary glass.
Abel and the cadets followed and looked.
Gigants dwarfing even Miles grades stood before the Glory Wall.
Beyond the wall lay a silver sea.
"Ah...."
Someone let out a sigh.
It hadn't been long since they'd felt intimidated by Blade Tails.
Yet there, fragments of Gigadeus like those Blade Tails surged forward like a tidal wave.
But even more terrifying than that horde of monsters was the presence amid them.
Gigadeus.
Humanity's enemy, calamity, natural disasters incarnate—they were there.
Towering 16 meters tall. Silver armor encasing their forms. Crimson glows emanating from where eyes should be.
Some questioned the name Gigadeus itself. How could mere monsters be called gods?
But anyone seeing them in person could never utter such words.
No name fit those godlike giants better than Gigadeus.
"Gigadeus remain a massive threat to humanity."
Tania spoke from behind the cadets, who couldn't tear their eyes from the window.
"Some say if Gigadeus possessed true intelligence, humanity would have perished already."
"Th-those things... they don't have intelligence?"
Rian asked in a slightly frightened voice.
"Yes. They move without clear purpose, wandering the continent like natural disasters."
Tania answered firmly, as if reassuring him.
In truth, that was the common knowledge here.
Gigadeus mostly resided far in the east, with only a few straying to ravage the continent.
But that wasn't the truth.
Only Abel knew the reality.
Gigadeus possessed true intelligence.
They thought and acted just like humans.
The nations of the continent, including the empire, believed Gigadeus wouldn't rise en masse to invade.
But that too was false.
In three years.
The Gigadeus would launch a full-scale invasion.
Kingdoms near the east would be swept away in moments, and the empire would suffer catastrophic losses.
That was the main story—and the predetermined future.
Only Abel knew it. And he knew how to stop it.
'I have to get stronger.'
But getting strong alone meant nothing.
The boys and girls here with him now would become humanity's hopes and beacons in the distant future, each and every one.
Abel had to embrace all that and advance together.
That was the one and only path to victory.
"Hoo."
Abel exhaled deeply and slowly loosened his body.
The future three years away wasn't what he needed to worry about now.
Because this very place was where players faced a brush with death.
'How much time left?'
He gazed at the soldier by the window with anxious eyes.
He couldn't pinpoint the exact timing.
All he could do was tense his body, ready to move at any moment.
Daniel, standing right beside him, gave him a strange look, but Abel ignored it.
After Tania finished speaking, the soldier gave them time to look outside, then spoke again.
"Now, this observation device here...."
Abel's eyes caught something while listening obediently. Beyond the large glass window. Something like a silver whip flying in.
Abel reflexively drew up his mana.
'Overflow. Shadow Step.'
His body snapped backward as if yanked.
Kwaaaaang-!
The roar stretched out like a broken speaker, and one wall slowly burst open.
Time flowed slowly.
No—likely his thoughts had accelerated.
In that slowed time, Abel grabbed the dazed soldier and leaped away.
Whiiiish!
The whip-like thing struck where the soldier had stood, then retracted.
Most cadets screamed and fled backward; a few tried to step forward but were stopped by Tania.
She was the only one armed here.
Kwaaaaang!
The whip lashed out again.
A magic circle flickered briefly over the glass before it shattered to pieces.
Abel shouted at the soldier, who was still disoriented and failing to grasp the situation.
"It's a monster attack!"
At those words, the soldier snapped to, glanced at the breached wall, and quickly stood.
"Everyone, this way!"
Shouting that, the soldier rushed to one wall.
It was where the deactivated Titos stood in a row.
He placed his hand on the orb-like device attached to the wall.
Whiiiiiir-!
The cockpits of ten Titos there popped open simultaneously.
"It's an emergency—everyone, board the Gigants!"
Hearing that, Abel smiled to himself.
"Just as planned."