30 Years Have Passed Since the Prologue

40 – 9. Attacks always happen during academy field trips. (4)

*

Contrary to many people’s misconceptions, Ivan wasn’t particularly fixated on axes. (His immediate successor, Dmitri, didn’t agree with this statement.)

However, Ivan believed that axes had many advantages.

When splitting or chopping, they had a stronger center of gravity than swords.

They could be used as bludgeons when swung, and the curved edge of the axe could entangle an opponent’s weapon like a hook.

Besides its merits as a weapon, Ivan had once compiled various uses for the axe.

It was useful for prying, opening cans or doors, and even for splitting heads and other objects.

-Shing.

The reason Ivan was thinking this way wasn’t significant.

He was currently drawing a sword. Personally, he wasn’t fond of swords, but it was necessary.

He intended to respond as best as he could to the practical training assault. His sincerity could be felt from the fact that he had armed himself with an axe alongside the sword.

“Beolgreen.”

Every time he thought of that arrogant elf, it grated on his nerves. Preparing all sorts of offensive spells and appearing only to… test him?

On the other hand, Ivan was hardly arming himself, feeling more like taking a leisurely stroll. At most, he had a pistol and a single axe!

If he had to make an excuse, that was it. Ivan knew it was an excuse, but he had learned an important lesson.

– Always be armed and prepared for a hostile confrontation, regardless of when or where, with the firepower of a warrior party.

Fundamentally, he wasn’t particular about the type of weapon as long as he could wield it. While there might be weapons he was more accustomed to, he had no qualms about using unskilled weaponry.

After all, he had been on the front lines for 20 years. Supply weapons tended to break easily, so everything at hand had to be utilized on the battlefield.

Ivan strapped a dagger to his waist and sleeve, slung a sword over his shoulder, secured an axe to his lower back, and tucked a pistol, magazines, and a few explosive grenades into his pockets.

*

“This batch of students is quite impressive, don’t you think, Sir Enrique?”

“Ah, indeed.”

“I have high expectations. It’s the exam personally supervised by Sir Enrique! All the nobles of Freichencaya wanted to witness it together.”

“They want to make a spectacle out of the students?”

“Oh, no! That’s not what I meant!”

Enrique shook his head with an impassive face. The guy buzzing beside him was a second-year knight studies major professor. His name… Ivan couldn’t recall.

She fundamentally lived a long life. (She doesn’t admit it.) It means she encountered as many people as her years and bid them farewell.

The way immortals view the world is as follows: those with nothing to remember make an effort not to remember. If one doesn’t wish to spend a lifetime mourning all departing acquaintances, then they had to do just that.

He wasn’t worth it. Enrique never bothered to remember the name of this ‘professor’.

“They say Oscar’s abilities are improving. I’m quite excited.”

“Ah, from Tilles? Yourself?”

“Yes, you remembered!”

It feels vaguely familiar. He might have been from some royal guard in Tilles…

Enrique nodded.

“Isabel is also a remarkable talent. Yuri Frank, that kid’s good too.”

“Isabel may be, but Yuri Frank… I did see the file on that student, but well… for a commoner, he’s quite impressive.”

“A commoner… you say?”

Enrique chuckled softly. He could be considered a commoner, being a war orphan.

Does this slick-looking lad truly know? Half of the warrior party were commoners.

Maximilian, Ainar, and her. Enrique.

But what could he do? Nobles wanted to believe that. Now, Enrique, lacking the youthful vigor, just shrugged.

“Enrique.”

At that moment, Ivan approached from afar. Ignoring the pompous professor, Enrique waved at Ivan.

“Oh, Ivan! What’s up?”

“Can I observe?”

“No test today? It doesn’t matter, why bother?”

“I have something to confirm.”

“Confirm…?”

Enrique chuckled and stood beside Ivan. The expression of the professor standing nearby turned abruptly cold.

What discrimination. The newcomer in his eyes was just a humble gardener.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Professor Robert Sanar de Mondragon from the Knight Studies Department. Your name?”

“Ivan Petrovich.”

Even just the name gives it away. A commoner without a surname, typical of Krasilov.

Robert’s gaze grew noticeably colder. He frowned.

“A commoner. You should know the subject and find your place. There must be plenty of trees to tend to at the university, why bother coming here?”

“…?”

“What’s he saying?” Ivan cocked his head.

It was a curious situation. He hadn’t encountered someone who bickered with him in this manner for such a long time that it was challenging to come up with an appropriate response.

Typically, in such cases, Ivan was inclined to bring down an axe on the other person’s head. That was how he dealt with things when he began to be underestimated in the military—too many bothersome incidents.

But this was a university. Things had to be handled differently in society. Ivan took a moment to organize his thoughts.

Fortunately, Ivan didn’t need to intervene directly.

“Hey, Professor.”

“Yes, Enrique.”

“Do you want to die?”

“… What?”

Enrique glared at Robert with fiery eyes.

“Ivan is my guest. He’s my friend in a small way and my colleague in a big way. How dare you insult my guest in front of me? Is that the Tillesian way?”

“Well…”

“Shut up. I tolerated your stench because I have a good sense of smell. Four years ago, that alone would have been enough to kill you. The world has truly become better.”

Enrique’s liveliness was oozing unpleasantly. Ivan reached out his hand to calm down this ignorant and hysterical pre-modern elderly man.

“Enrique, it’s okay.”

“No, this bastard is disgusting!”

“We need to start the exam. The students are waiting.”

“Oh, really.”

Enrique cleared his throat and turned away. Robert, exposed to her energy, was still trembling.

Ignoring him, Ivan also followed Enrique. Students were gathered in the clearing of the forest.

It was the first major exam for the first-year students of the Knight Department. [Ambush Response] had begun.

*

There were a total of 52 first-year students in the Knight Department. They stood at their desks, each armed with the university’s basic equipment, looking at Enrique on the platform.

Enrique raised her hand and spread it wide. A small bead was clutched in her hand.

From Noble mtl dot com

“This exam is about ambush response. The kids I personally taught are scattered all over this forest. They’re planning to attack you directly.”

The students were not shaken by Enrique’s words. It was within their expected range.

“But that means there’s no discrimination. Some students may be lucky enough not to be attacked. So, if you manage to defeat the attackers who come after you, you’ll get bonus points. And one more thing.”

She shook the bead as she spoke.

“I’ll give each of you this bead. It’s a magical bead with a simple location detection spell. If you arrive at the opposite side of the forest while protecting it until the end, you pass. Additionally, if you have more than one bead, bonus points will be added.”

Her words caused a stir among the students.

The best way to respond to an ambush is to form a group. Essentially, if there are several people gathered, it is possible to eliminate blind spots.

But what about those conditions? The optimal strategy is to form a small group, endure while the attackers and other students are distracted, and then escape with the beads.

“Not everyone can pass. The top five who exit the forest first will receive the highest scores, and deductions will be made for each escape time. Total time: four hours. Protect the beads and pass through the forest within that time. Understand?”

Ivan nodded as he listened to Enrique’s words. The curriculum was almost identical to the one used to train the annihilator unit recruits.

It was already a familiar test, but in another sense, it was also ‘familiar’ for a different reason.

‘An environment where external hostile forces can intervene so easily.’

This forest is part of the Freychanka zone. If you go a little further from the outskirts of the forest, there is a military base stationed there.

In other words, it is a perfectly safe space. So, even though they planned such an intense test, it must have been approved by the university.

However, this is an academy field practice, so external attacks are inevitable.

So let’s think about ‘how’ rather than ‘why.’

‘I can’t lurk in the forest. Enrique’s subordinates will have already searched it.’

So where will the attack start?

It won’t be from the sky either. Since the incident with the elf airships, Krasilov is serious about air defense.

A ground attack is almost impossible. Even if there is a way to reach it without ignoring the military, the situation has become very sensitive due to the recent train terror in the vicinity, so the reconnaissance headquarters is on high alert.

Then…

‘Underground.’

According to the elimination method, the only place where attackers can appear is underground.

It’s something that can only be confirmed if you are sure that an attack will happen, but Ivan was a reasonable person, so he didn’t doubt it.

‘Those average guys.’

Assuming that the attackers coming through the underground tunnels are dwarves is the only race that comes to mind.

Those communist dwarves. Planning a subterranean attack by them is almost impossible to counter in advance. This is because it is impossible to predict where they will emerge.

But considering their tactical goals, deduction was possible. If dwarves were assumed to be attacking, and the demon army was deliberately targeting the academy’s freshmen midterm, the goal was already set.

‘Isabel or Oscar.’

The members of the hero party are objects of intense hatred for the demon army. A hero party that slaughtered most of the dragon brigade and even defeated the demon king. They, who are now difficult to directly strike in various social strata, have children who are not.

From the perspective of the demons who have driven out the entire demon race, seeing them raise and happily nurture children is a situation that turns their stomachs upside down.

From that point of view, this incident is very transparent from Ivan’s perspective.

If the motivation, method, and goal of the terror are specified, it’s no longer just terrorism. It’s just a riot.

Ivan looked at Isabel, who was holding the beads, from a distance. She was smiling as if amused by something.

-Clank.

Ivan placed his hand on the cold sword, swaying at his waist.

To face dwarves, he unsheathed his sword. Dwarves were a folk not easily dealt with by axes.

So, preparation was key.

*

“What’s this… really, sir.”

Isabel looked at Ivan, standing confidently in the corner with a wry smile. Avoiding mismatched swords like a knight, he exuded a solid presence.

Ivan is a gardener. Strictly speaking, a national secret agent, but on the surface, a gardener.

Why would someone like Ivan bother, really bother, to witness this test?

“You worry too much. Seriously.”

Isabel turned her gaze, trying to control her expression. The gentleman deep inside worried about her. And probably, he wanted to verify the education he had given her.

Well then, let’s show him.

Isabel shrugged, firmly gripping the hilt of her sword.

Let’s proudly display the results of these dreadful days of training, secure the top spot, and boast about it.

And perhaps, express gratitude for the assistance in training, smoothly leading to a meal, or, um… even coffee. Well, maybe even a play.

After all, Krasilov is a country renowned for its cultural arts.

Isabel briefly imagined Ivan watching an opera and chuckled, thinking it horribly mismatched.

“…”

At that moment,

Ivan, being an extremely efficient person, was preparing to shave off the dwarf.

*