Guerrilla Warfare Training (3)
Leonid charged straight to the front lines. The lightning surging from the princess's body was growing even stronger. Just as I hadn't known her specialty, I had no idea about the extent of her mana control either.
"Don't just stand there—fall back!"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
He shoved the soldiers back, who had been staring at the princess in a daze, then wrapped himself in mana and plunged right into her battlefield.
Leonid leaped into the princess's line of sight just as she was about to unleash her lightning on the golem. He smashed it to pieces first, then turned to her. In that brief moment, he hesitated—should he call her Your Highness or deputy platoon leader?
"Deputy platoon leader."
He decided quickly. Calling her Your Highness meant he couldn't control her, but deputy platoon leader gave him authority. By labeling the one behind this outburst as deputy platoon leader, he could wrap things up without backlash.
"...Yes, sir."
Luckily for Leonid, the princess accepted the title.
"We'll deal with the guerrillas first, then talk."
With that, the platoon leader rushed at the golem. As the heavily armored warrior swung his warhammer and advanced, the golem crumbled helplessly. But for every one that fell, another rose.
The golem mage over there must have been grinding his teeth, staking his pride on this training. Next to the mage, the siege golem raised its arm again. That orb it threw was the culprit behind this whole mess.
I gathered the electric magic I'd been emitting around my body into both hands. Then, just as the golem was about to hurl the orb, I slammed a bolt of lightning down on its head.
Boom!
The siege golem struck by the thunderbolt collapsed in an instant. The orb in its hand shattered, spilling yellow powder everywhere. Naturally, the mage standing beside it got covered in dust and powder.
"Gah! Cough, cough!"
The golem mage's concentration broke. In that moment, the golems lost control and froze in place. I seized the opening and flew straight at the mage, grabbing his collar and shaking him like a ragdoll.
"Cough! What the hell— you can't lay hands on the golem mage during training!"
Maybe it was the sudden contact, but the mage started getting pissed. I was pissed too.
"This is all your fault—my work just doubled! How are you gonna make up for it?"
"Make up for what... uh... Your Highness?"
When I tossed my helmet aside, the mage's eyes went wide. He didn't recognize my face, but the signature red hair and golden eyes of the imperial family gave me away.
"That's right, it's me. Answer the question. How are you gonna make up for it?"
"Y-Yes? Cough... wh-what responsibility are you talking about?"
"The responsibility for turning our blood, sweat, and tears into rubble!"
"Th-this is just standard train—!"
Like hell it is! I was about to shake his collar again when—
"That's enough."
The platoon leader, who had caught up, pried me off the mage. I resisted, but his grip was stronger than I'd expected. Holding me firm, he turned to the mage.
"I think we should end the guerrilla training here."
"Ah, yes. L-Let's do that."
The dazed mage pulled a scroll from his pocket and tore it right away.
It must have been a voice magic spell embedded in the scroll. Probably the announcement right before training started was the same method.
"Head back."
"Y-Yes, sir! You too, platoon leader—great work!"
"Wait, you're just gonna let him—"
"Deputy platoon leader."
The platoon leader's voice had dropped low. I glanced at the retreating mage, then replied.
"Yes, sir."
"Follow me."
The platoon leader and I entered the woods a short distance from the trench. Facing him, his expression was ambiguous—angry? Troubled? Hard to tell.
"You knew this was a training exercise, right?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then why the outburst? Doesn't this ruin the training?"
"......They said we'd have to rebuild the trench."
"......"
The platoon leader glanced at First Squad's trench, smeared with yellow powder. He looked back at me and took a deep breath without a word. After calming down a bit, he spoke again.
"Guerrilla training is meant to simulate real combat."
"I know."
"That's why even after 'combat' ends, it leaves aftermath like a real battle. If a real fight broke out, the trench would actually be destroyed, and we'd have to repair it too."
"...Yes, sir."
"And repairing the trench is part of the training. You already knew that, didn't you?"
That's what it was? I had no idea. I'd only remembered the guerrilla training from my past life in the army—sticking on stickers that washed off easily. So when they said the trench was really wrecked, I couldn't hold back. All our efforts over the past few days, gone in one hit—I snapped.
"And you've experienced powder orbs at the academy. Why react like that?"
"That... uh...?"
"That they leave marks on trenches and gear. You went through it in academy training, so I don't get why you'd react this way."
...I didn't know that either.
"I did experience powder orbs in academy training, but..."
"But?"
"I never did my own laundry or gear maintenance, so... I didn't really know..."
"Ah."
The platoon leader opened and closed his mouth. The situation felt absurd to me too. What could I do? Since reincarnating as a princess, I'd never washed a single item or even showered by myself.
Back then, the day after getting hit by powder orbs at the academy, Elina brought clean clothes as usual, so I just thought, Guess the laundry came out nice. Thinking back now, she probably just threw out the powdered clothes and brought new ones...
"S-Sorry, sir."
"I'll let it slide since you didn't know. Don't let it happen again."
"Yes, sir..."
I bowed my head meekly. I'd basically ruined the platoon's training out of ignorance. As I stared at the ground in remorse, something occurred to me.
"Platoon leader, sir?"
"What?"
"So how does the training report go up?"
"Hm? Why ask that? We just report what happened."
"Should I mix in some lies when we report?"
The platoon leader gave me a pitiful look. He quickly changed it when he remembered who I was, but I saw it clear as day.
"......"
"......"
"Ahem! I'm not writing the report. The golem mage we fought will probably do it."
"Ugh..."
...Yeah, of course. Obvious, but my brain wasn't working after screwing up. Normally, if something goes wrong mid-training, the commander gets chewed out. Since this was platoon-level, the platoon leader and deputy would catch heat.
Even if higher-ups issued discipline, it wouldn't be a big deal for me. I'm a princess—worst case, house arrest. I'd just lounge at home with my maids and servants attending me.
But what about the platoon leader? It didn't matter what the punishment was; the fact of it would be unfair. How's a mere platoon leader supposed to control a rampaging princess?
"Platoon leader, sir."
"Speak."
"You'll probably get reprimanded, right?"
"Likely."
"I'll take responsibility for this."
"...What?"
"So let me go rogue one more time."
All the guerrilla training was over. The battalion commander, the Silver Eagle Corps commander, and the Black Golem Legion commander gathered once more in the battalion commander's office.
"Your battalion seems well-trained. Eight platoons held out against us—that's impressive."
"......"
The Black Golem Legion commander meant it as pure praise, but the battalion commander felt his hair stand on end. First Battalion had 25 platoons total, regardless of company or role divisions.
"Erm..."
And hearing it right next to his direct superior, the Silver Eagle Corps commander, made it impossible not to squirm.
"No injuries in the ranks?"
"Just about 15 minor ones, nothing serious."
"Hope they recover well. And... there were some incidents during training, I hear..."
"Urgh..."
All three men's heads throbbed. Princess Arselia Rosenhardt. Midway through perfectly smooth guerrilla training, she'd gone rogue—making direct contact with a golem mage in Third Company, Third Platoon. Grabbing his collar, even violence.
It nearly turned a joint training into a real threat. If it had been a regular soldier or knight, discipline would be automatic. But punish a princess? Who'd take that heat?
The three exchanged glances. Then the Black Golem Legion commander cautiously spoke up.
"How about house arrest for Her Highness and reprimand the direct superior, Third Platoon leader?"
"Y-Yes, that sounds good. The platoon leader failed to control his subordinate, so it's fitting."
"Then for this incident—"
They were about to shove the blame along when—
"Knew it."
The princess herself kicked open the battalion commander's office door and barged in. Otherwise, it might've gone down just like that.