Chapter 23
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Knight! Officer! Friend!
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Knight! Officer! Friend!
The two loyal retainers seem to have really laid down the law this time.
Otherwise, they couldn't have expressed their displeasure so directly.
"Knights and officers, tone down this constant bickering and biting at each other."
"You think the Koeni won't invade just because they haven't yet? Know your place. This is your final warning."
Imperial Army Marshal and Allied Forces Supreme Commander: William Reinhardt of Kenes.
One of the Empire's three great dukes, the Victory Duke: Winfeld Clozen of Kainel.
The Emperor's sturdiest sword. The guardian deities protecting the Empire.
Nobles among nobles, always upholding the imperial family with unwavering loyalty.
Those two had held a meeting. Even though there was no particular public reason for it.
They were friends beyond private ties, always careful not to invite needless misunderstandings.
Yet they had deliberately created an occasion to face each other directly.
What did this mean? It was a clear warning to the military and the knights.
With war against Koenihesen potentially breaking out at any moment, those who kept clashing.
They had turned a blind eye until now, but the rivalry had grown excessively sharp.
This meant they would no longer tolerate or overlook it any further.
I had long anticipated something like this would happen someday.
Father had merely stayed silent due to the positive effects their competition produced.
He hadn't been indifferent to the conflict itself.
It was just that, as Emperor, directly addressing it would create too great a ripple effect.
It might unnecessarily harm the knights and officers who were doing well.
He had deliberately hidden his discomfort, hoping they would restrain themselves on their own.
'To notice that and act accordingly... Truly remarkable men.'
Their cold warning immediately exerted a definite influence.
Plans were already emerging to reduce the friction between knights and officers.
It might not be grand, but a beginning is what matters.
The Empire's fortune. Father's fortune. To have such loyal retainers.
Repelling Koenihesen's insidious invasion and even driving them back in turn.
All of it had been possible because of such devoted vassals.
That said, as the crown prince of a nation, I couldn't just sit back and watch.
I should contribute in some small way to this positive change.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, a joint training exercise has been scheduled between the Knight Department and the Officer Department at the academy."
Right on cue, some very welcome news reached my ears.
Joint training—no, joint training between those two departments that were busy growling at each other.
How could I sit still upon hearing such delightful tidings?
I wanted to go cheer on the future loyal retainers, the pillars who would shoulder the Empire.
Since they were making such efforts, I could certainly spare the time for that much.
"Clear my schedule to match the date of the joint training."
"Will you be observing, Your Highness?"
"That's the plan. What do you think?"
"How could I not defer to Your Highness the Crown Prince's will? However, since some of them are so young they might still be considered children, I have slight concerns they could feel burdened by Your Highness's attention."
He's couching it carefully, but essentially saying not going might be a good method in its own way.
My lifelong attendant, Baron Pierneman, cautiously voices his opinion.
"Hmm."
It's a dilemma. As the baron says, it could burden the students.
But sitting idly by felt like shirking my duty as one bearing responsibility.
"...Wait a moment."
Come to think of it, I heard that the second son of the Reinhardt family had enrolled this time.
The Field Marshal's grandson. The Supreme Commander's second son, the 1st Cavalry Division Commander's younger brother.
He was a bit young, but I'd heard he'd earned quite some praise.
Suddenly, curiosity and anticipation welled up within me.
The Field Marshal's era had long ended, and even the Supreme Commander was getting on in years.
There was the 1st Cavalry Division Commander, but he was older than me too.
In contrast, this second son was just turning twenty.
The age gap with me wasn't that wide, so he could truly be a man of my era.
Alongside him from the Reinhardt family—loyal and supremely capable!
I wanted to learn more about this man.
Could he become someone like the Field Marshal in my era, or the current Supreme Commander?
Would he be a loyal retainer I could trust at any moment, just as Father had?
If he truly was, I'd have no more to wish for.
Since little was known, I wanted to confirm it myself. Especially as a Reinhardt—I wanted to see with my own eyes.
"I heard the Supreme Commander's second son is there. Is that correct?"
"Yes. Richi Reinhardt. From what I hear, he was originally in the Administrative Department but applied for dual majors in the Officer Department this time."
"Dual majors? Tackling two departments when one is already grueling."
This only piqued my interest further. Stepping up for dual majors, no less.
Even the Empire's top officials had never done such a thing at the academy.
That it was Reinhardt blood made the expectations inevitable.
"I must go."
"Then I shall adjust the schedule accordingly, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
"I leave it to you."
Richi. Richi Reinhardt. What sort of figure would he become in my era?
*
"His Highness the Crown Prince has decided to observe the joint training!"
His Highness the Crown Prince. My future liege was personally coming to this academy.
This turned the awkward joint exercise with the Officer Department into a matter of utmost importance that absolutely had to succeed.
If we showed a pathetic defeat in front of him, the Carlyle name would ring out in disgrace.
The imperial family's proud sword. The Victory Duke's trusted comrade. That was my house, Carlyle.
As a member of that house. As the one to inherit that name. As one aspiring to be a knight.
A reason had now arisen why I must win this joint training.
"I will announce this in advance. This joint training will not be a formal exercise like swordsmanship spars or physical conditioning as before. It will be real training that mimics actual combat."
The professors seemed properly tense upon hearing of His Highness's visit.
Training that mimics real combat. Yes, it had to be at least that level to qualify as training.
"This joint training is a hill occupation battle. The format is as follows: With a low hill between them, each team's commander decides the initial attack or defense. Once offense and defense are set, the attackers attack and the defenders defend."
"However, there's an important point. The match isn't decided by successfully occupying the hill or failing to defend it."
What did that mean? Victory wasn't determined just by a successful attack or failed defense?
"This training lasts a total of five days. In other words, you will fight day and night like in real combat for five days straight. After those five days, the side holding the hill to the very end wins."
Five days. A full five days. We'd have to keep attacking and defending nonstop during that time.
It wouldn't be easy. An incredibly grueling training. His Highness's visit was probably a major reason.
I glanced at the Knight Department classmates around me and the Officer Department guys standing at a distance.
Some were already showing clear displeasure.
Most being nobles, it was understandable. They wouldn't like not getting proper sleep.
But in the end, we were all fated to head to the battlefield someday.
It would be harsher, dirtier, and more exhausting than this. Far more, never less.
Those whining already would be weeded out. I'd make sure of it.
Incompetent allies at your back were more dangerous than competent enemies up front.
"Garen. The Knight Department unanimously selects you as our team's commander."
My classmates approached and immediately brought up command authority.
Music to my ears. If they did that, I was grateful.
I nodded and looked toward the Officer Department guys keeping their distance.
"...Normally, I'd want to clash over command authority once."
One of the central classmates among them extended a hand.
"There's a guy on the opposing team we have to watch out for most. So, just this once, let's cooperate. Garen."
"Crushing a common enemy? Always welcome."
We bickered daily, but that was just everyday stuff.
When something important like this arose, we naturally cooperated as the Empire's swords.
Especially with His Highness the Crown Prince coming—we couldn't show internal strife.
"More than that, the one we have to watch out for most is, of course..."
"Richi Reinhardt."
Reinhardt. No one in the Empire—knight or officer—didn't know that name.
The house where His Imperial Majesty had personally bestowed the unprecedented title of 'Field Marshal.'
A place of three generations of utter devotion to the Empire, enough to draw gasps even from us knights.
"He was originally in the Administrative Department but entered the Officer Department with dual majors this time. You heard?"
"Roughly. I was hoping he'd end up on our team."
"Me too. Damn, already feeling uneasy."
Strange. No matter what, he was still just a fledgling like us.
Why were they—and him and the other Officer Department guys—so tense?
Reinhardt was impressive, sure, but Richi had yet to prove—
"He's the one who suggested stealing our swords?"
"No way. So that's how it went down?"
...Correction. Richi was definitely a formidable foe. All that had come from his head.
Because of it, our classmates' mentality twisted, and they couldn't perform at their best.
A simple yet razor-sharp strategy. And that Richi on the opposing team had pulled it off.
"One more reason we absolutely have to win."
"Sorry to our classmates on the other side, but no choice."
"So, what now, Garen."
The obvious. We needed to devise a strategy. One to beat Richi and his team.
Reinhardt was great, of course, but I'd show them other loyal sons of the Empire were great too.