The New Special Cadet (7)
After the academy leadership meeting, I convened the Combat Department separately. I needed to spread the word about the contest in advance and get our own preparations underway.
"The National Security Office is hosting a contest? And one modeled on active-duty operative evaluations?"
Naturally, the professors were stunned. The National Security Office had never once made anything like this public. The difficulty would of course be adjusted for academy students, but the foundation was still a classified active-duty operative evaluation — an extraordinary development from the professors' point of view. And to think Principal Kirlin had secured it through a private audience with the Second Princess herself.
"The Principal is truly remarkable."
"I know, right. How did she not even flinch in front of Her Highness?"
"She's become a completely different person."
"It's all thanks to the Chief Professor coming here…"
At Lina's remark at the end, every professor turned to look at her. Their stares said, what on earth is that out-of-nowhere comment supposed to mean? Lina paid them no mind. Her eyes were sparkling as she looked at me.
"It's true, though. Before the Chief Professor was appointed, the Principal didn't want to do anything. Practical exercises, battlefield site visits — all the off-campus activities started after the Chief Professor arrived."
"Hmm. That's a fair point."
Since it wasn't wrong, the professors nodded along in agreement.
"Alright. Let's get started. We're estimating the contest will be in about two months. The time we have left is two months at most — a month to a month and a half at the shortest."
My contest preparation plan was as follows.
Stage One: every member of the graduating class, without exception, undergoes evaluation. We score them meticulously by category and rank them. The categories fall into three broad functions — infiltration, assassination, and intelligence. A typical Special Task Force operates with these three capabilities, though the mix varies slightly depending on unit size.
Stage Two is assembling the students who scored well in each category into teams and training them. That way we can compete whether the contest is open to multiple academies or just ours. We can also thoroughly evaluate the entire class, identify the graduating class's weaknesses, and focus on reinforcing them in the second semester.
The contest, a proper read on the graduating class, a curriculum overhaul — it was an excellent chance to catch several birds with one stone.
"But shouldn't we wait for the National Security Office to send down the evaluation sheet before we start preparing?"
"If we wait for that, we'll be too pressed for time. We'll make our own evaluation sheet first and get the kids ready, then add whatever's on the official one when it comes down."
The National Security Office wouldn't impose absurd standards on academy students anyway. They would clearly set up scenarios based on typical Special Task Force mission conditions — and if that was the case, we Combat Department professors could predict it well enough on our own.
"The Chief Professor is absolutely right. But I don't know the first thing about Special Task Forces, so I have no feel for this."
"Don't worry too much. Lina and I will draft the evaluation sheet. The rest of you just prepare the training grounds according to the draft and coordinate in advance to get the teaching materials."
Lina was a former Special Task Force operative with actual field experience, so the two of us could easily put together a draft. Kirlin also served as the assassination-and-kidnapping professor, so she ought to have been included — but Kirlin had zero combat experience, which meant she wouldn't be much help.
"I love it!"
At my words, Lina hopped up and down, overjoyed to the point of madness.
That said, there was one problem: the intelligence function. I would need to request cooperation from Professor Ismera for that. The Theory Department offered intelligence-gathering courses like cryptanalysis and signal detection.
I just hoped that elf wouldn't start foaming at the mouth and yapping like a chihuahua again.
"You're here to see our Chief Professor?"
When I arrived at the Theory Department, an administrative teaching assistant looked rather uncomfortable.
"Is there a problem?"
"Not exactly, but…"
The hesitant assistant asked me to wait a moment and ran inside.
"She says you may come in."
A short while later, having apparently received permission, the assistant let me through.
"Professor Ismera."
I knocked on the office door, and a voice from inside told me to enter. I opened the door, stepped in, and stopped in slight surprise.
Professor Ismera was sitting at her desk. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her face was gaunt — she looked terribly unwell.
"Are you all right? You're not sick, are you?"
"What is your business."
Ismera asked briefly, in a voice that could not possibly have been colder.
"It's about preparing for the contest. I need to coordinate with the Theory Department."
Since she didn't invite me to sit, I explained the whole situation while standing. Professor Ismera offered no particular opinion, turning her gaze to the window.
"We will discuss internally and then provide support."
"Then I'll wait. Please give me an answer by the day after tomorrow at the latest. If support isn't possible, I need to come up with an alternative quickly."
That was it. Ismera didn't seem to want to talk with me any further.
"I'll be going. Please take care of your health."
There was no reply, so I gave a slight nod and left the office.
"Hyaaah, this is so nice."
Lina looked around the inside of the Chief Professor's office with an expression of pure rapture.
"Working overtime, just the two of us with the Chief Professor… just thinking about it makes my heart race."
Right now Lina was wearing a backpack almost as big as she was.
"Did you move in?"
"Pretty much. If I'm going to eat and sleep here, I need to be thoroughly prepared."
"What are you talking about? Eat and sleep? This is something we can finish by pulling one all-nighter."
"It'll be done that fast? But this is important work."
"Importance and the effort and time you put in aren't proportional."
"Ah. So that's how it is…"
Looking thoroughly disappointed, Lina suddenly brightened.
"But if we get tired, we can still catch a little nap!"
"Yeah, yeah. Unpack your stuff over there and let's get started."
"Haaah, Chief Professor. I'm so nervous and excited I feel like I'm going to lose my mind…"
Like a puppy wagging its tail, Lina looked up at me. I pushed her forehead back with a finger.
"Alright, let's work."
"Yes, Chief Professor!"
Just then the door opened and a Theory Department professor walked in.
"Good evening, Combat Chief Professor."
"Come on in."
I'd wondered if they might not send anyone, but Professor Ismera had come through after all. She's got a rotten temper, but she's a reasonable woman.
"Huh? What's going on?"
I explained the situation to Lina, who was blinking in confusion — this and that, so we'd decided to receive support from the Theory Department for the intelligence function.
"So… the three of us will be working together?"
"Yeah, that's right."
A shadow fell over Lina's face at tremendous speed.
When Professor Dian had first singled her out, Lina had been overjoyed enough to jump. She had already fallen completely for him after a series of incidents — and now they were going to work overtime, just the two of them, in the Chief Professor's office?
An unbelievable opportunity had arrived far too quickly, at a time she never expected.
Lina had dashed to the dormitory and hurriedly started packing. First, snacks for when they got hungry, reference books, things to use as teaching materials — and since they would definitely be pulling an all-nighter, a sleeping bag.
And while she was at it — just in case, a very remote just-in-case that something might happen — she ought to give some thought to her underwear.
What would be good? Yes. This was it. The embarrassingly cut lingerie she had been saving and saving for the decisive day, the kind she could scarcely bring herself to name. And since she had no idea of Professor Dian's stamina or endurance, she packed extra pairs as well.
They would be preparing for a contest hosted by the National Security Office, after all. They would surely need to live and work together for several days.
She had gone there all excited — and Professor Dian had said they could finish in a single day. This wasn't how it was supposed to go…?
But it was fine. They wouldn't just work all day, right? They might catch a nap in the middle. They might go wash up to wake themselves. There were plenty of possibilities.
Just in case. Just in case. Just in case. You never know!
But it had all been a delusion.
"Good evening, Combat Chief Professor."
"Ah, come on in."
Just as the excited Lina was humming to herself while unpacking, a Theory Department professor walked in. Apparently they had come to provide support regarding the intelligence function.
"So… the three of us will be working together?"
"Yeah, that's right."
How could this be…. This was impossible…. My plan. My underwear….
And as if that weren't enough, Professor Dian's work speed was far too fast.
Spreading out a few blank sheets of paper, Professor Dian picked up a pen and began scrawling evaluation criteria without the slightest hesitation. He handed them out to Lina and the intelligence professor with instructions to review and annotate. Lina and the intelligence professor would each verify the infiltration and intelligence functions, after which Dian would check their work in turn. They repeated the process several times, then slid the papers sideways to one another for yet another round of review upon review.
Honestly, nearly everything had already been included in what Professor Dian had dashed off at the start. There was nothing left to add or take away.
"Lina. Go get the administrative director."
To the administrative director summoned to the Chief Professor's office, Dian inquired whether all the evaluation criteria written here could be assessed with the academy's current resources. The director scanned them and replied that most were possible, and that for the insufficient parts they could request cooperation from other academies or nearby army corps.
"Great. The draft of the draft is complete!"
Having shouted that, Professor Dian immediately convened the Combat Department professors and once again had them review by passing the papers around.
"Not bad."
"This is excellent! Nothing's missing!"
"I approve. Honestly, I think we should send this to the National Security Office for them to use as a reference."
"Then with this, the draft is complete!"
When all the professors responded positively, Professor Dian took the draft evaluation sheet and went straight to the principal's office.
"Hey, assistant! Tell Professor Ismera to come to the principal's office! It's about the internal evaluation sheet draft for the contest!"
"Yes, Chief Professor!"
Looking out the window, the sun was just beginning to set — around the usual quitting time.
What is this…. I was so excited, and it was just a normal workday…?
Aww… my underwear!
Still… Professor Dian is really incredible…. How can he wrap up work so cleanly before the workday even ends…? I like him so, so much….
"Snap out of it, Lina. You're drooling."
When Pelemiya shook her shoulder, Lina hurriedly wiped her mouth with her sleeve. The dazed Lina had actually been drooling.
"What were you thinking about, standing there like an idiot?"
"I was thinking how disappointing it is that I couldn't show it to Professor Dian."
"Show him what? What is it?"
"There's… something…"
