EP.218 The Story of the Past, The Pied Piper of Hameln – 4
Graduation practice is a practical evaluation to discover talents that are difficult to pinpoint through tests or sparring.
In other words, it is the last opportunity prepared for children who cannot go to military academies.
Desperate children volunteered for risky practices reminiscent of actual combat.
Practice went smoothly.
Graduation practice was a comprehensive evaluation, and the goal was to build a raft with only students working together, go down the river, receive an evaluation from the instructor at the downstream garrison, receive supplies, and return.
Alchemy Crafting Physical strength Dokdo method Organizing ability Bargaining power, etc. It was a practice prepared to evaluate various abilities. Although various crises came, the students overcame them by displaying their talents in the right place.
“Cento. Didn’t you do some meteorology while studying ballistics? It’s a little different field, but how is it? Would it be better to put a sail on it?”
The boy called Cento turned his head away with a gnashing of teeth as if he had been stabbed by something.
“…Sheesh. I don’t know. how do i know I folded it in the middle.”
“But no one here knows better than you.”
“under. are you kidding me now? you are there day off. Head of school.”
“I’m just playing at a desk. The experience is different from you who threw something, shot it, and observed it.”
“…joy. It was just child’s play. Anyone can do it.”
While grumbling, Cento checked the direction of the wind and the material of the mast and fiddled with something. When the wind blew, the raft went a little easier. Subtle but sure.
“It helps.”
“…not so much.”
Cento bowed his head with a devastated feeling. It wasn’t the attitude that a person who achieved something would show, but I understood his situation and didn’t say anything.
It only makes me feel sad when I praise what I have already given up as shining.
The fleet of rafts moved slowly. The Hameln River, which extends to the south, is not very large, but it is meandering and the current is slow, so all sorts of floating objects were floating, and there were many birds and animals aiming for it. Everyone had to tremble in fear when the dark shadows along the river scratched the bottom of the log.
It was on the way for such a long time. An emergency occurred when one of the instructors who was watching this side for the evaluation left for a while to move on to the next point.
The river is blocked by flotsam that fills the surface. The river was filled with trees and leaves due to the slow current, so it was impossible to get on the raft at all.
The children were confused by the unexpected obstacle.
“Since it is the point where the current slows down, the flotsam must have accumulated and blocked the river.”
“What can I do…? If you keep going like this, the night will come! We should arrive downstream within today.”
And naturally, the eyes are drawn to me. I hope to solve it in any way and expect from me.
At the beginning of the school year, when all the children entered the secondary military school with a blank slate. The children embraced their swollen hearts with their dreams and hopes.
Most of the children were drawing pictures of themselves in fancy uniforms. 3 levels. A special position where you can achieve something real different from the ordinary military people. The most important step forward.
However, the special is courted by the number. It is special because the number is small, and everyone wants it because it is special.
Not everyone can get their hands on it.
I called the one who was once an aspiring magic officer.
“Kerofald. Can’t it be solved with magic?”
“With our magical power, it would be impossible even if it took a year with our magic. If it was Lancart… I don’t know yet.”
It was a vague answer, but it was a clear fact. I nodded and turned my head to the other side.
“Siaty. Wouldn’t it be impossible to remove that from the boat?”
“…It took me all day with the footing like this. There is nowhere to put it away.”
As Shiati stomped her feet, a scream erupted from nearby.
Although he was a promising martial artist, Shiati, who had stopped growing, did not have enough talent to overcome the limitations of his body. Driven to the edge of a cliff, she tried to reverse the evaluation in this graduation practice.
Shiati, who had been stomping her feet, turned her head and fired at me.
“Aren’t you supposed to give orders anyway, huh?”
“me? why?”
“Why? Actually, this graduation practice was prepared for you.”
I didn’t know anything about gluttony. If Shiati had known that, it wouldn’t have ended with just one stomp.
Shiati opened her eyes and looked at me.
“The Instructor General must have wanted to evaluate your commanding ability. That’s why you, the senior in the grade, dared to participate in the practice.”
Unfortunately, that is a superficial reason. Nicholas spread the word to the instructors and some students, giving me a reason to participate.
It was a valid reason that was hard enough to forcefully refuse, so I couldn’t refuse and came all the way here.
On a flotsam that was probably prepared for me.
“…Give me your instructions, General. I will wait for your order.”
Shiati said sarcastically.
At the same time, even the loneliness oozes out as if it can’t be helped. That’s what she said, but she also agreed.
I gave an order for her who was waiting for an order.
“Let’s put the boat on the riverside and clear the flotsam from the land. It will be much safer to get it off the ground.”
“Then you will enter the forest…”
“This boat is a tree. It’s because we’re loaded like luggage, but it’s already overloaded. let’s get moving It’s okay if you come back.”
Eventually we set up a makeshift camp with a boat nearby. It was only a handshake to go deep into the dangerous forest, so they built a bonfire in a clearing not too far away and huddled together.
Clearing the flotsam was a very difficult task. Even with hundreds of energetic children, it was difficult to retrieve it, which was filled with water-soaked driftwood, tangled tree vines, and various debris.
When I wanted to kick off a little bit. The children who were looking at the sky muttered.
“…Isn’t this dangerous? If this continues, it will become night.”
“Actually, the night has already come. The sun will set in a few hours.”
“The night is dangerous. How did it happen?”
They never dreamed of the possibility that this situation could have been caused by someone’s conspiracy.
After digging through the forest for a bit, a clearing appeared. The children were even more delighted, saying that it would be possible to set up a great camp because it was an empty lot with traces of someone staying there.
The night has come. It’s beast time. In the dark, the man was frightened and comforted himself with a small bonfire.
I had no plans to stay in a place like this in the first place. Drinking water, food and clothing were all in short supply. There were tents, blankets and firewood left on the other side, so if it wasn’t for nothing, we might have had to spend the night on the rocking boat.
“It’s nice to have a camp. At least I can’t move…”
Not knowing that all of this was in the scenario, the children were delighted with this fortunate situation out of misfortune.
They huddled together with bonfires lit here and there. As time passed, anxiety grew in the man’s heart. As the fire lit up each other’s crimson eyes, the children looked at each other and muttered.
“What? Aren’t you supposed to give up now?”
“How not? Let’s make a big fire and call the instructor. It’s dangerous to stay up all night like this…”
Making a big fire is like a declaration of giving up. The instructor will have to come, but the negative evaluation will be inevitable… but some thought they couldn’t help it to be safe right now.
Then, Cento jumped up and shouted.
“You can’t call the instructor!”
As if sympathizing with Cento’s words, the children nodded with firm faces. Shiati also agreed with him.
“Graduation practice is very important! This is an unexpected situation, but if you overcome it well, you’ll get a better rating! Why did we come all this way in the first place! It’s for reaching level 3!”
“but.”
“If you give up here, you will be level 2 for the rest of your life. That they would live the same daily life as a treadmill, working day after day as a laborer and patching things up day after day! Are you okay though?”
There is such a joke that you live with level 0 instead of level 2.
Second-level citizens who graduate from secondary military schools are forced to work in military installations that require a secondary level of education. The word is slavery, but in fact it is service.
Of course, it is more risky and cumbersome than other roles. Although the pay is higher than that of general labor, it is a property that cannot be passed on anyway.
“I have to be level 3. Or it doesn’t make any sense! Neither do you!”
What do you get for a higher level? A low-key sense of superiority. Even that stops at the emotional part. Even if you’re a level 2, if you use violence towards level 1 or level 0 or give a private order, you’ll be taken to the workhouse immediately.
The only thing that can discriminate between different levels is the military. 2nd or 0th level, it’s the same as being a slave to this army.
It changes from level 3.
The children who recalled that fact were swept up in another feeling of excitement.
“okay! Rather, this is an opportunity!”
“If you get through this situation, you might get a better rating!”
“Set a night watch! Oh, and the password too!”
Could it be because of Shiati’s speech? An atmosphere of pride was created among the children. Excited emotions rose like a bonfire, danced, and then faded away.
I was watching them quietly when Carafald called me in a small voice.
“day off. Come here.”
Mind reading reads everything. Having read Carofald’s business at once, I nodded slowly.
He, who once dreamed of becoming a magic officer, was a follower who worshiped Lancart like a god. That’s why he was called by Lancart yesterday. Lancart called him, who usually followed him, and said quietly.
There is a trap hidden in this test.
So he was the first to notice something strange and approached me.
“I found it.”
Carofald took me to the river in the middle of the night. Light was projected on the surface of the water close to where the ship was tied up with ritual magic. Beneath the river he shone with his shining fingers… a long, strong rope was tied beneath the water’s surface.
I looked up. It’s hard to see because of the lack of light, but on the surface of the water reflected in the shadow of the moon… A long line of flotsam stretched along the straight line where this rope connected.
said Carofald proudly.
“It’s a net. These flotsam got caught in the net and stopped.”
“I know.”
As expected.
Although this point is an area where the flow slows down and flotsam accumulates, it must have been artificially manipulated to accumulate in such a timely manner.
“You seem to have known about it too. haha. okay. It was strange from the beginning that this camp seemed to have been prepared in advance. The surface test is going downstream, but the real test is… coping with a crisis situation. The real purpose of this test is to survive by wisely coping with distress situations. is not it?”
no. The real purpose of this test is to act unwisely and die. Don’t even notice that this is a trap.
In that sense, Carafald was a reminder from Lancart.
A person who likes to dig things up. A person who finds pleasure in finding out the knowledge itself rather than using it. From now on, I will continue to wander around trying to figure out the true intentions hidden in the test. If left unattended, they might even uncover the secret taboos hidden in this camp. no i will dig
Carofald He had even heard of something like a taboo from Lancart… Truly a time bomb.
I’m the one who has to be the first to drive them to death in order to devour them all. A person designed that way.
Lancart.
you are not here now The wind I hear now is only Carafald’s.
That’s why I can’t listen to you. No, you can’t change me in this way.
I smiled instead.
“That’s correct, Carofald. Do you already know this? Are you doing something?”
Carofald’s eyes sparkled with satisfied curiosity.
“As expected, the chief! I thought you would know too!”
‘Even if it’s rotten… I thought Lancart gave a hint. But still! I’m second in this place!’
The wind blows.
longing for life. The joy of achieving something with the knowledge you have learned. camaraderie and camaraderie. Or the hope that has come.
I can’t trample it to get a handful of magic or energy.
rather.
“Carofald. your prediction is correct There must be secrets hidden in this camp.”
“What secret?”
“I don’t know everything either. I’ll have to find it from now on. So, Carafald, won’t you do it for me?”
The military has abandoned you. maybe it’s because of me I’m such a gluttonous optimization talent that Nicholas forced me to do it.
But I can’t call it my responsibility. Because it was planned by the military or by Nicholas or Lancart. i don’t want to kill you
I don’t know what to say, but it’s already enough food for my heart.
Nicholas and Lancart. I want to change myself, but that’s all. Their emotions are calm. Disappointment and remorse are only spread on the floor like the calmly sinking surface of the water.
He is not interested in cold emotions that try to wield only others without regretting himself.
Rather…
“I have a lot of work to do, so I’d like you to assemble a team and investigate.”
“really? do i do Do I have to report it straight up later?”
“of course. Why should I miss what you did?”
How will you react when this problem comes back and attacks you when the plan is exposed? What emotions will you show? That’s just more curious.
You should hang your neck too. Is that fair?
“Only you, who noticed this fact first, deserve it. Carofald. Would you like to draw a map of the camp first?”
“okay!”
You’ll find out when you draw a map. What is this camp like? what lies beneath
If it bleeds, what shape will it draw?
‘look! I have already grasped the essence of this test. This will put me a few steps ahead of the others!’
Although the truth obtained at the end can never be accepted with a smile.
I also have to go and get ready. I have to secretly unravel the information and spread rice cakes so that the children can accept the clearer truth.
Even the most superficial knowledge is enough to know that this is a taboo.
