7
Chapter 7
The next day, Charles scored nearly perfect marks on his political science and diplomacy exams. This was expected, as he had personally studied these subjects in his previous world, South Korea.
Academic disciplines weren't drastically different in this other world. Most of what he had learned in South Korea was applicable in the Arcadian Empire. While the Empire's political science was slightly less advanced, it was a technical gap between the Renaissance and the modern era, not a fundamental difference in the field.
After he scored two near-perfect marks in a row, the grading professors were bewildered. Why was Charles Jean Rochefort at the top of his class in political science and diplomacy, yet failing every combat-related subject like swordsmanship and magic? When one professor inquired, Dian de Valboa, the instructor for Charles's class, spoke up.
"He's a student in my class."
"Do you know anything about him?"
"Not much, other than the fact that he's a rather peculiar cadet..."
"Peculiar, you say?"
"There are rumors that Charles Jean Rochefort keeps Glacia Ehrenberg as his guard."
Glacia Ehrenberg. The professors gasped at the name. Glacia was a top-tier talent in swordsmanship, widely regarded as a potential future Sword Master.
"Using a talent like that as a mere guard...? He must be a cadet from a very influential family, then?"
"Actually, he's a fallen noble."
"A fallen noble!?"
How could a fallen noble possibly have a talent like Glacia Ehrenberg as a guard? Who on earth was Charles?
Why did he score like trash in combat while excelling in politics and diplomacy? The mystery surrounding Charles only deepened.
The following day, the mock battle exam began. The proctor, Dian de Valboa, was a veteran knight with fifteen years of battlefield experience; she was far more of a soldier than a professor.
With such a person in charge, the students were terrified that they would be graded harshly.
Everyone, that is, except for one person.
"Phew~ Finally my turn."
Charles was warming up, radiating confidence.
After all, as Siu, he had been the top-ranked player in the game 'Age of Gunpowder and Magic.' His tactical command of armies was on a level far beyond the second-place player.
He wasn't just competing for the top spot; he was the undisputed number one.
Because of this, he was confident in his ability to lead. He was certain he would rank among the elite, though one concern lingered...
"I wonder how good the people of this world actually are."
He had fought countless army-versus-army battles through online matchmaking, but he had no sense of where the academy cadets stood. If their average skill exceeded that of the gamers, Charles would score low; if it was lower, he would likely dominate.
"Personally, I'd prefer to be at the top."
Still, they were just academy cadets, not actual generals, so they probably weren't as strong as he was, right? That was his hope.
Before long, the match brackets were announced.
Charles's first opponent was Andre Gomes, the leader of the bullies who had been tormenting him.
Andre, who had been beaten senseless a few days prior, seemed startled at first to be paired with Charles, but a smug smile soon returned to his face.
"Charles Jean Rochefort probably failed every single subject. There's no way this mock battle will be any different."
Since the news of Charles's near-perfect score in political science and diplomacy hadn't been released to the cadets yet, Andre remained under this delusion.
"The first match will be an easy win."
As he spoke, his lackey, Hugh, chimed in.
"A-are you sure? If we win against Charles, that crazy bitch from last time might..."
"She's just a commoner. If she hits us just because he lost a test, my family won't let it slide."
True. He had forgotten because the beating had been so severe, but they were just commoners. There was no reason to be intimidated by mere commoners.
"You're right."
When his subordinate Enrique spoke, Andre gave a vile laugh.
"This exam is the perfect chance to get revenge on that bastard."
He intended to utterly crush Charles and humiliate him.
Once the exam began, the students were divided into four groups to start the mock battles.
This tournament-style test required students to control wooden dolls, with victory going to whoever knocked down the opponent's doll first.
It was essentially the same logic as a modern strategy simulation game!
Because of that, this was a field Charles felt completely confident in.
The first match was between Third Princess Leonia and some unknown guy named Agacy. Since I didn't know him, he must be an extra, not a playable character.
The Princess deployed a standard composition: 20% cavalry, 50% infantry, and 30% archers.
'Is she not using the Tercio?'
Actually, it made sense. From the Princess's perspective, gunpowder weapons were a trump card for surprise attacks in real combat, and she wouldn't want to reveal the essence of the Tercio in a simple test.
Believing he couldn't win against a standard setup, the opponent used 40% heavy cavalry and 60% heavy infantry, attempting a Central Breakthrough with a small, elite force. He was betting everything on a single blow.
However, the Princess flanked the enemy with her cavalry while slightly retreating her center and pushing her wings forward, creating a perfect encirclement. Trapped on all sides, the enemy was utterly annihilated before they could do any real damage to her wooden doll.
It was a display of military command so flawless that the spectators watching the magic monitor and even the tactics professors were left in awe.
'Impressive.'
Charles also praised the Princess in his mind. Her meticulous control of the army was practically an art form.
When it was finally Charles's turn, he chose a composition of 40% heavy infantry and 60% longbowmen.
Upon seeing that combination, his opponent, Andre, burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?"
Andre replied, unable to hide the amusement on his face.
"Infantry must always outnumber archers, because their job is to protect them. Don't you know the basics? Not to mention, you don't even have cavalry..."
He sneered. Theoretically, he was correct. Since infantry protects the archers, the standard practice is to have more infantry. But the point of a standard? It's meant to be broken. There were countless tactics in the world, and while Charles's approach defied convention, it was far more annoying and dirty than the standard.
Indeed, the 40% infantry and 60% archer tactic Charles was about to employ was so infuriating that using it in online matchmaking would get someone flagged as a toxic player. Of course, such rules didn't exist at Arcadia Academy.
"Pfft... A composition with more archers than infantry. Do you really think that can even chip away at ten percent of my forces?"
At Andre's provocation, Charles simply gave a meaningful smile.
-----
The battle between Andre and Charles began. Following the textbook tactics he learned at school, Andre first deployed light cavalry for scouting.
While sweeping the battlefield from west to east, he lost contact with a light cavalry unit in a corner of the eastern mountains. They had likely encountered and been defeated by an enemy scout. However, it didn't matter. The fact that the scouts had met meant there was a high probability that the enemy's main force was also in the eastern mountains.
Andre led his army eastward. The enemy had entrenched themselves on the mountain. Military theory suggested that camping on a mountain was not ideal, as supply lines were easily cut.
Andre considered targeting the supply line, but he felt it was unnecessary against someone like Charles. After all, wasn't the enemy using a deformed composition with more archers than infantry?
Winning by cutting supply lines was an option, but Andre wanted a more flashy and perfect victory to humble Charles. He wanted to prove to Charles that he was nothing without Glacia.
Therefore, Andre decided on a Frontal Breakthrough against Charles's army on the mountain. He believed that deformed force would collapse instantly. With that thought, Andre shouted to his wooden dolls.
"All units, battle positions!"
The wooden dolls began to take their places one by one. Archers in front, infantry behind them, and since the mountain path was too narrow for the wings, the cavalry was placed at the rear. And then...
"Charge!"
As Andre shouted, the clash between Charles and Andre finally began.