Training Camp # 2
Training Camp # 2
The next day.
I woke up in the morning and a message had arrived.
"Well damn. She just sent this over a message?"
It was from Instructor Lee So-ra. The training camp schedule file was attached. I went to receive the file and open it right away, but the phone claimed it didn't have a viewer that could open it.
"Oh, for fuck's sake."
What a goddamn circus.
I get an official document and my phone's missing the viewer for it? You can't even manage a basic function like this nowadays? Honestly feels like these people just don't do technology.
Anger surged up, but nothing to be done about it. I rubbed my sleepy eyes, downloaded the viewer, then opened the file.
[Ares Academy First-Year Training Camp Information]
"The hell?"
The date is tomorrow?
The Chairwoman really has a fiery personality. Planning to ship us out the very next day. Let's see. The training camp period is... a bit longer than I expected.
I skimmed down and got the rough schedule. Packed with training and programs, and it genuinely felt like a training camp.
Literally going to an external facility for training. Anyway. Summing up the rough contents, it goes like this:
[Urban-Combat Training]
[Cadet Team Battle]
[Urban Warfare Subjugation Competition]
[Deserted Island Survival]
"But what the hell is Deserted Island Survival?"
The rest were perfectly normal training: monster subjugation drills using holographic devices on a simulated urban combat set, learning combat techniques using terrain features, and actual cadet-on-cadet battles to practice fights against villains. But Deserted Island Survival, I couldn't figure out what the hell that was about.
They're actually doing this?
Reading it, the program apparently builds the ability to survive when isolated in otherworldly spaces like dungeons or during operations in remote regions of Earth by conducting survival training on a deserted island.
Nice concept.
"Mmm... Geun-cheol? You up?"
Next to me, Si-hoo rubbed his eyes, turned his body, and looked at me.
"Yeah. The training camp schedule came in. We leave tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Let's see. The assembly time is... Yo. Get up. Assembly's at a park near the school in the afternoon."
Seems we assemble, get briefed, and then depart from that exact spot the next morning.
"Ugh. A hassle."
"Heh-heh, yeah tell me about it."
I immediately called Leona.
"Leona?"
-Ah... what is it?
"You just wake up?"
-Your call woke me.
"Check your messages. The instructor sent the training camp schedule. It says we depart tomorrow, assembly's at the park by afternoon."
-No, what do you...? So suddenly?
"Yeah. Anyway, hanging up."
I hung up right away and got up.
Guess I should wash up.
* * *
Anyway, went to the park and got a simple briefing. It kind of felt like one of those preliminary muster days they have during vacation.
Heard the precautions, heard what supplies to pack.
We went back, prepped for the training camp, slept a night, and finally it was departure day. We woke up early, finished preparations, got a ride in Leona's car, and headed to the assembly point at the park.
"Honestly, I'm a bit excited. Urban combat monster subjugation training. I heard those facilities are incredibly realistic."
Leona, sitting next to me, said it with an expectant look on her face.
"Really? What, they don't have that stuff in Europe?"
"They do, but I heard Korea's is better. I've never been there myself."
"Yeah?"
Ah, well, that makes sense. I heard Korea has the best academy facilities in the world. That's why Leona attends school here. Partly also because her mother is Korean.
"Yo. But how do you even do monster subjugation training? You got any ideas?"
"They have them. Portable hologram devices. You'll know the instant you see one."
"Seriously, it's nothing but amazing stuff. Holograms are a magic wand, a total magic wand."
The Korea I lived in never really commercialized holograms like this.
"Geun-cheol, if I look closely at you, it's like you came from some countryside village."
"How dare! Lee Si-hoo! You can't say stuff like that!"
"Both of you, shut up!"
Chatting with friends like that, we arrived at the assembly point.
Cadets had already started showing up. Looked like we just had to gather over there. The bus we'd be riding was parked over in that direction... Wait, what the hell? What's that?
"What are all those things? Aren't those armored cars?"
"Geun-cheol. Those are armored buses."
"Armored buses?"
These weren't normal buses. What do you call it, heavy armored buses? The shape is closer to an armored car than a bus.
They actually have buses like that?
"Vehicles equipped with thick armor and shield generators. Since we have to go quite a distance, they have no choice but to deploy these. They're said to be some of the safest vehicles in the world."
"Seriously..."
It was incredible that they actually had stuff like this.
"What, you think we'll get ambushed on the way?"
"I'm not sure. I haven't heard of an example, but any villain could attempt an attack if they set their mind to it, right? Terrorizing a bus isn't exactly difficult."
"Brutal."
In short, a bus made for cadet safety. With that kind of heavy armor and a shield generator attached, it'll certainly be safe.
"Nah, but Korea doesn't seem like such a dangerous place."
"Public safety doesn't apply to a villain's random acts. Does crime stop happening just because the world has police?"
"Yeah, true."
The people who'll commit crimes are going to commit crimes.
Honestly, you could figure that out just from reading internet news. Villains terrorize civilian homes, use superhuman strength to kidnap children and vanish—these things happen.
I also heard they hold villain executions once every quarter.
As I was marveling at it all.
"Yo. Kim Geun-cheol."
The familiar delinquent girl, Woo Yu-ri, shuffled over with her hands shoved in her pockets and called me.
"No greeting?"
"Well if it isn't Yu-ri-Yu-ri-Yuria? Good to see you."
"What? Yu-ri-Yu-ri? This bastard's saying weird crap again. You didn't skip your swordsmanship practice just 'cause we're on break, right?"
"I haven't especially learned anything from you yet, have I?"
I hadn't learned swordsmanship from Yu-ri yet.
"So yeah, for swordsmanship I'm just swinging it on my own. Doing other training. Mana control and dashing."
"Okay. Well. You're doing fine at that level..."
Woo Yu-ri trailed off oddly, hemming and hawing.
"What? Why?"
"Nothing. I was supposed to check up on your swordsmanship but couldn't this whole time. Things got weird..."
"Hey. Couldn't be helped. The Gate Incident hit too. How could we possibly look at it? Us two?"
"Yeah?"
She doesn't need to be sorry. It's just Yu-ri one-sidedly overseeing my swordsmanship in the first place. It'll be on hold for a while. But maybe my words put her at ease a bit, because Yu-ri smiled.
"More importantly. Kim Geun-cheol, I heard you found something?"
"Heh-heh, that? Hey. I'll tell you in a bit. Look."
Instructor Lee So-ra was lining up the cadets.
"Okay, okay! Everyone to your places! We'll board the armored buses after the headcount!"
"Yes!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Cadets answering energetically. I went straight to my spot and stood. Seems my reputation has even spread to Yu-ri.
"Stand in numerical order! Numerical order! Board in numerical order!"
So we boarded in numerical order.
But when I got to my seat, the guy with the familiar sky-blue hair was sitting in the window seat.
"Yo, Mr. Ryu? You sat next to my seat again?"
"I sat down first, and you are the one who arrived second!"
"Could this bastard like me? Stalkers are not welcome, you shit."
"I can't fathom what you took my explanation as!"
Watching Mr. Ryu burst out yelling, I felt like I could die laughing. Ryu Cheon-hwi here is just so fun to mess with.
"Whoop."
Anyway, I sat down next to Mr. Ryu and buckled up. Mr. Ryu was desperately staring out the window.
"Yo."
One thought popped into my head looking at this guy's face.
"More importantly, when am I going to your place?"
"You absolute dog! Can you not stop saying that!"
"Heh-heh, hey. What can I do? A grown-up from your family invited me."
I was definitely invited by Mr. Ryu's older sister.
But I don't think it was just casual talk. So what can I do? I have to go. Even I can tell the difference between something said as a polite gesture and something said for real.
This is a "have to go."
"See? You know it too. So right now I'm in a state of nervous anxiety about when to go."
"Aaargh! That damned sister of mine!"
"Is that something you say about your sister?"
"Mind your own business!"
Mr. Ryu yelled again.
"She's practically calling every damn day asking when she'll bring you...!"
See.
I'm telling you, I have to go. Just looking at it, the sister is excited that her utterly unsociable little brother finally made his first friend. And that sister person is a pretty strong hero? Yeah, I have no choice but to go.
-Rustle.
Anyway, I pulled out snacks and drinks and set them up.
"Mr. Ryu. Have a bite?"
"I have no desire to even glance at such junk food!"
"Well, well. Then I guess I'll eat it all myself. I'm not giving you any today."
-Crunch.
So I was munching on snacks.
"We will now depart for the training camp facility. Don't chatter too loudly. Especially Ryu Cheon-hwi and Kim Geun-cheol. You're the loudest."
"Why on earth am I lumped together with this guy...!"
"Geez, Instructor! I'll be quiet, ma'am!"
Then, depart!
-Vrooom!
"Ohh."
So this is an armored bus?
Even the ride quality is no joke.
And the bus driver was carrying a submachine gun. Also, is his right hand some kind of cyborg thing? Is that a real cyborg hand? The Republic of Korea sure seems to have changed amazingly.
"Yo, Mr. Ryu."
"..."
"So where's your house?"
"Don't take an interest, you Taliban bastard."
The guy answered through clenched molars.
"Heh-heh, what? Afraid I might commit a terror attack?"
"Don't even speak of it."
"I said I won't, man."
"Be quiet!"
But speaking of terror, it reminded me: Mr. Ryu here was literally an unbelievably rich young master. Did he suffer from the threat of terrorism because of that?
The thought suddenly crossed my mind.
"Hey. Come to think of it, you said your family runs Ryuseong Group, right."
"..."
"Is it because of that? Villains terrorizing buildings or something making you sensitive about it?"
Mr. Ryu kept ignoring me.
"...A villain has never committed an act of terror."
Still, he did answer.
"But what?"
A villain has 'never' committed an act of terror? The way he says it, it sounds like they have been terrorized but not by a villain.
"No villain? Then what, did someone else other than a villain do it?"
"I believe I told you not to take an interest."
"I'm curious. Just tell me a bit. I'll give you this."
Pointing at the Pringles.
"..."
After a short silence, Mr. Ryu spoke.
"It wasn't an incident in my time. It was an incident in my father's time."
"Oh. He opened up for chips."
"I am not telling you because of chips! I'm telling you because it seemed you would blather on all day about it!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Let's go with that and just tell me.
"My father was frequently subjected to terror attacks."
Heavy from the start.
"I heard that at the time, there were many vermin agitating for the suppression of Awakened. They said acts of terror against Awakened occurred frequently, so it must have been that influence."
"What? Seriously? Awakened got terrorized?"
Mr. Ryu asked back with an incredulous face.
"Do you not know history either?"
"Nah, I don't know that."
"Study! You moronic bastard!"
The era where I finally have to study if I don't know something has arrived!
"Then let's search for a sec."
I immediately pulled out my phone and turned on the internet. Good. What should I search? The keywords I just heard: Awakened. Terror. Old days. Something like that.
"Oh. Comes right up."
An article came up about a past act of terror against Awakened.
"It really happened, huh."
The terror attacks really happened.
The era was right after the Dimension War ended.
Back then, ordinary people in power feared that the superhuman Awakened, who had skyrocketed as war heroes, would come to rule over them. Partly because it was right after the war and Awakened were throwing their weight around, and also because PTSD-soaked superhuman veterans frequently caused incidents.
At any rate, the ordinary people in power actively used these issues to spread the danger of Awakened and advocated restricting their rights, and as a result, anti-Awakened ideology spread nationwide.
Laws suppressing Awakened sprung up like bamboo shoots right in this period. The Awakened, who were war heroes that saved the nation, became half-objects of fear.
In that process, many hate crimes against Awakened also occurred, and most of them were terror attacks. Acts like tossing grenades into homes where Awakened lived or firing guns at night.
Of course, ordinary people trying that could never be a match for Awakened who had survived the Dimension War and slaughtered countless monsters, and most of the terrorists were literally butchered alive.
Just like monsters.
But as those incidents recurred, it seems the Awakened were instead branded as even crazier murderers. They became living bombs who still couldn't escape the war.
In response, the political sphere tried to tighten the leash on Awakened even more, and it was precisely then that the current Sovereign Commander, S-rank Awakened Kim Ik-su, gathered his comrades, staged a coup, carried out the Great Purge, seized power, and has reigned as an absolute monarch ever since.
Ironically, it all turned out exactly as the ordinary power-holders who caused the situation had feared.
The Sovereign Commander has reigned as the absolute authority from then until now.
"This is horrifying, man. Why did they suppress war heroes like this."
I can't understand it.
When I voiced my doubt, Mr. Ryu gave a smirk and spoke.
"Now even you must have accumulated a bit of culture, I suppose."
So a family history like that is why the kid was a little... that. If I'd heard my dad had been terrorized, I'd have been pissed off too.
"Your father is a total living witness to history, huh."
"Hmph."
Mr. Ryu's face lit up.
"Only realizing that now. You truly are a sea cucumber of unfathomable ignorance."
"You crazy bastard, seriously."
Did I compliment your dad or did I compliment you?
What a total mess, this guy.