Chapter 28 - Despair Does Not Belong To Us (4)
The Alliance Army cadets gathered in front of the flag, calmly preparing for battle according to Wilfried's orders. Wilfried, too, had become quite skilled and composed in giving commands by now.
"You really came up with that idea!"
After finishing preparations for battle, Ferdinand approached Wilfried and spoke to him—referring to the plan to completely exhaust Marie so that Ernest couldn't score a victory. Wilfried gave a wry smile.
"It was a cowardly move."
Wilfried spoke so quietly that to Ferdinand it was just a low mumble, barely audible above the growing storm. But even so, from the guilt on Wilfried's face, Ferdinand could more or less guess what he had said.
"Wilfried!"
Ferdinand gripped Wilfried's shoulder tightly.
"Your plan was truly effective! It didn't work out perfectly, but you managed to severely weaken the enemy's forces!"
Ferdinand admired the fact that Duke's fourth son, Wilfried, had come up with and executed a strategy he himself hadn't even considered. Still, though the plan was excellent, in the end it brought only half the results they'd hoped for.
"You need to be a bit more ruthless! If you hadn't let yourself feel unnecessary sympathy for the Baltracher, the plan would have succeeded perfectly. By now, we'd be riding back in the transport vehicle without having handed victory over to Krieger!"
"..."
Ferdinand offered Wilfried his honest advice.
As Wilfried listened to Ferdinand's surprisingly cold words—meant to both encourage and guide—he quietly watched Ferdinand.
It soon dawned on Wilfried that Ferdinand was acknowledging him not as the Duke's son, but as a fellow officer cadet. And perhaps the reason Ferdinand was offering advice instead of trying to hinder him was because he himself couldn't quite bring himself to be truly ruthless.
Or perhaps, Ferdinand simply didn't see him as a true competitor.
Wilfried managed a bitter yet more confident smile than before.
"You're right, Ferdinand! So, what do you think our chances of winning are?"
Wilfried had already come up with a plan—all that was left was to carry it out. Still, he wanted to hear what the capable Ferdinand thought their odds were.
"That depends entirely on how much strength Baltracher has left. With conditions like these, if Baltracher's power runs out, then the side with the numbers will win, no matter what!"
After saying this, Ferdinand recalled what state Marie was in.
"If your plan works well, then our odds are slightly, but definitely, higher!"
Ferdinand coolly assessed their chances and determined they were good enough. Victory was within reach. Even managing to secure this level of probability against an enemy with Baltracher on their side was an impressive achievement.
"If it works out, that is..."
Wilfried couldn't bring himself to feel any sense of joy at Ferdinand's words. Even after he and Ferdinand had meticulously worked together to exploit a moment Ernest couldn't possibly have anticipated, all they had managed to secure was just a little over a fifty percent chance of victory.
Wilfried felt a twinge of self-disgust. Driven by desperation, he'd resorted to such underhanded tactics, yet his own sympathy had prevented him from finishing things definitively. It was half-hearted on all counts. Pitiful.
Still, even if it wasn't a complete success, it wasn't a total failure either. For now, he needed to focus on making the most of the opportunity they'd managed to create.
***
"The situation's gotten a bit tricky. So, what should we do?"
Robert was a boy with enough tact and manners not to blurt out, right in front of Marie, that, "With the Baltracher unable to even stand for our turn, we're finished." So instead, he spoke carefully. But honestly, what was happening now couldn't be brushed off as things just "getting tricky."
For starters, Marie couldn't even walk—Ernest had to carry her all the way to the flag. On top of that, her mental strength had reached its limit. She could barely maintain the Balt Shield, let alone think about using Balt Wind.
To make matters worse, the stamina of the First-Year Cadets was completely spent as well. During two battles as the Alliance Army, they'd trudged through wind and rain, alternately walking and falling time and again.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call this the worst situation a First-Year Cadet could face during Mock Battle Training. Seriously, this could become the very first time the Imperial Army—with a Baltracher on their side—ended up losing.
"It's just like what Wilfried and Ferdinand did. We're just… well, Marie—oh, is it alright if I call you Marie?"
"…"
Marie, her face buried against Ernest's shoulder, gave a small nod in response to his question as he turned to look at her.
"Okay. All we need is to use Marie's strength to keep moving forward and fight."
"Is that really all there is to it? Fiders can't fight like she did in the last two battles anymore."
It was Jonas Adler of the Noble Faction who said this. His tone was cautious, and it was clear he wasn't belittling Marie, just soberly assessing the circumstances.
"…"
"…"
But the moment Jonas spoke, Marie lifted her head from Ernest's shoulder and shot him a fierce glare with those sharp, intimidating eyes. The cadets who had witnessed Marie's strength in the last two battles flinched and shrank back, visibly nervous. Jonas in particular turned pale and actually hid behind another cadet.
"Um, well, she still seems pretty full of energy, wouldn't you say?"
Robert tried to lighten the mood, though his voice trembled a little.
"Marie. If you can just use your Barrier to block out the wind and rain, will you be able to manage that?"
"…Yeah."
"Are you sure? If you can't do it, you really need to say so. That way we can avoid mistakes."
Even though Marie said she could do it, Ernest asked her again. He couldn't see Marie's ferocious glare at that moment. The other cadets looked pale and restless, as if Ernest were carrying some monster on his back that chewed on human entrails.
"…I can do it."
Marie's face scrunched up again. Her pale, freckled face was clearly that of a cute young girl, but the twisted expression made her look almost like a fiend. However, since Ernest was carrying her, all he could hear was her soft, whispered voice, and from that, he realized just how carefully she was choosing her words.
"Alright. Hmm, then. We need to figure out the effective range."
Once Marie repeated that she could do it, Ernest didn't press her any further. And unlike Wilfried and Ferdinand who had gone ahead, he couldn't use the Balt Wind, so he needed to gauge their effective range in the midst of the driving wind and rain.
To do so, one poor cadet had to step outside the Barrier and stand as a target, getting pummeled by the wind and rain.
"Arghhh! Damn you, Ernest! I'll curse you for this!"
And, of course, Robert ended up as the target. After offending Commander Ernest so many times, thinking he could just walk away unscathed—how arrogant.
"What's he saying?"
"No idea. Can't hear a thing."
"He says he's thrilled to be able to help all of us out."
"Wow, what a guy. Let's give Robert a round of applause, everyone."
Clap clap clap clap.
The cadets snickered as they applauded Robert.
Then, with no mercy, they all started pelting him with wooden bolts.
"How is it? Do you think he's getting hit?"
"Ugh, not sure yet. Let's try shooting a bit more."
"Yeah, we barely got to fire in the last battle, so we've got plenty of bolts left."
This ruthless barrage finally ended when Robert, crouched down and battling through the wind and rain, started coming back.
"Hey, why are you coming back so soon?"
"You... miserable bastards..."
Completely battered, Robert collapsed onto the ground, gasping and mumbling.
"So, what's the effective range?"
"…About thirty paces, give or take."
"Good. Robert, you've completed the mission magnificently. Alright, everyone, let's give a round of applause for Robert, who sacrificed himself for us."
"Wow! Robert, you're amazing!"
"Aaaah! I hope you all drop dead, you bastards!"
Everyone gathered around Robert, who lay face-down on the ground, offering their encouragement and applause in unison. Except for Robert, who was screaming, everyone was smiling.
Even the Training Instructor, standing in front of the Flag, was chuckling.
"…"
Marie didn't smile. Still unused to this atmosphere, she simply stared wide-eyed, hiding against Ernest's shoulder in confusion.
"Marie, could you make a small hole in the Barrier for shooting?"
"…"
Instead of replying, Marie shook her small head sideways on Ernest's shoulder. Performing that kind of delicate magic was impossible for her right now, when she was so exhausted.
"Alright. Then, I'll let you know just before we shoot, so lower the Barrier for just a moment then."
"Okay."
Marie answered Ernest's words in a small voice.
'She's a much quieter kid than she seems.'
Ernest thought that Marie was actually a very gentle and well-behaved child. And maybe, he mused, she was just an extremely young—only eleven years old—and yet exceptionally talented Baltracher.
Since Ernest had no way of knowing what kind of expression Marie was making on his back, or even how old she was, this was the only conclusion he could draw.
"…Ernest."
"Yeah?"
Marie suddenly called his name, startling Ernest a little. Clinging tightly to his raincoat, she whispered very quietly in his ear.
"…Say it to me."
"Huh? Say what?"
Confused by Marie's words, Ernest then realized what she wanted. After hesitating a moment, he spoke softly.
"…Hang in there, Marie."
Marie didn't say anything in response. She simply let out a small sigh. But the cadets who had been sneaking glances at Marie clearly saw her face twist in an almost frightening way.
'What in the world did he say to her?'
The cadets, who hadn't heard what Ernest had told Marie, assumed he had said something inappropriate to her again, or perhaps doubted her abilities. After all, there was no way for them to know that this was the expression Marie made most often in her life whenever her emotions wavered.
That fierce expression was certainly one of anger and hatred for Marie, but at the same time, it was also her way of smiling.
Bang...
A gunshot echoed—the signal for the start of the mock battle.
"Let's go."
Ernest immediately ordered the advance. This was already the third time. There was no reason to wait for the Training Instructor's word. Since Ernest was carrying Marie, the cadets in his platoon were moving at a fairly brisk pace.
Squish, squelch.
"Damn it..."
However, after fighting through two mock battles as part of the Alliance Army, Ernest's platoon was utterly exhausted. It felt like the mud was trapping their feet, refusing to let go. The cadets kept stumbling and falling, and even just walking a little ways was so draining that some hung their tongues out, drooling from fatigue. Rain was pouring down so heavily that they didn't even realize what was dripping from their mouths was saliva.
Ernest had nearly lost his footing several times. It was one thing to move alone, but carrying Marie on his back made it incredibly difficult. Even though Marie was much smaller and lighter than most people their age, for Ernest in his current state, she was still a heavy burden.
The first two battles had been tough, but this last one felt utterly dreadful. No one could say a word; all they could do was stagger forward, panting for breath.
"S-slow down... just a bit..."
Robert gasped out to Ernest, who stopped in his tracks. Turning to look back, he saw the completely worn-out, gasping cadets trailing behind. Ernest himself was nearly at his physical limit, his face twisted in pain from a splitting headache.
"Huff... huff..."
Ernest had to take a moment just to catch his breath. Just as Thomas had intended, the cadets were now feeling their limits. The only thing on their minds was giving up and getting on the transport vehicle to return to the Military Academy—they could barely think of anything else.
"Normally, I would tell you it's okay to give up,"
Ernest said calmly after steadying his breath. Thanks to Marie's Balt Shield, everyone could hear his voice.
"But not today. Don't give up."
His voice was firm, spoken with strict determination.
"I have to win this battle no matter what. No, I need to win every fight I can, without letting a single winnable battle slip away. And even in a fight where loss seems inevitable, I'll do everything I can to claim victory."
Truly, Ernest could not afford to lose this final battle. Even if the odds were blatantly unfair and against him, that didn't matter.
Echoing in Ernest's ears were the words Armin had spoken to him at the Founding Declaration Day party. For the honor of his esteemed father, Haires Krieger, Ernest had to push aside this forced defeat and become victorious.
He couldn't allow a record to exist where the Imperial Army, operating the Baltracher, lost to the Alliance Army. Never!
"To be perfectly clear—you're just being childish right now."
Ernest spoke sharply, reprimanding everyone.
"You can still walk on your own legs. You can still hold a crossbow in your hands and fire at the enemy to kill them. And if it really comes to it, you can even crawl across the ground to move if you have to."
No one could refute Ernest's words. He was right—and the proof was the small girl, Marie, clinging to his back. Marie, who had been pushed past her limits to the point where she could barely stand, was now struggling to her feet once more. And without giving up, she insisted on joining the final battle.
"You want to know why you feel like you can't go on right now? It's because you've never truly faced your own limits before. Every time things got tough, you just gave up, and now it's become a habit. But you actually still have plenty of strength left. If you want to complain about feeling weak, keep your mouth shut and do it silently. Don't make things harder for everyone else."
After Ernest's icy remarks, a heavy silence settled over the group.
There really was nothing anyone could say in response. They'd all seen Marie push past her limits and stand again, and now she was literally being carried on Ernest's back. In fact, Ernest himself had gone so far as to strip down and hide in the swamp in order to launch a surprise attack in the previous battle.
Without a doubt, the person who had struggled the most today was Ernest.
Sure, Marie had it rough, but not as rough as Ernest—her total stamina was just much lower, that's all.
"Damn it! Fine, let's give it another shot!"
Knowing exactly why Ernest was so fiercely desperate for victory, Robert spat out a curse but decided to go along with this insanity.
"But if I really start to feel like I'm about to die, I'm giving up right away! Got it? I am not dying here in a place like this, not like this!"
"I won't try to stop you then."
When Robert declared he would go along with it, Ernest nodded in response. Now that Robert had set the tone, there was no way anyone else could say they wanted to quit. Most of all, everything Ernest had said was right. They simply couldn't give up here.
So the Imperial cadets grit their teeth and began pressing forward once more. But as they advanced, they suddenly faced a very difficult problem.
"…They're not planning to fight us."
By now, their enemies should have appeared and the battle should have already begun. But the Alliance Army was nowhere to be seen. Ernest could sense Wilfried's strategy. Marie had reached her limit. She could still maintain the Balt Shield for now, but there was no way she could keep it up much longer. Wilfried knew this and intended to spread out his forces and stall for time.
But this plan had a critical flaw: in these horrendous conditions, there was absolutely no way to communicate the plan effectively.
"We have to turn off the Barrier."
"…What?"
Speaking in a firm voice, Ernest addressed Marie. Marie thought she must have misheard him. If we turn off the Barrier now, all of us will be exposed to the pouring rain and wind.
"They're using the Balt Light from the Barrier to pinpoint our location and monitor what we're doing."
Ernest had quickly seen through Wilfried's tactics. Even in these conditions with such poor visibility, the reason Wilfried was able to spread out his troops was because he could figure out their position by watching the light from the Imperial Army's Balt Shield.
"The moment Marie's Barrier goes down, the enemy will charge."
Ernest looked around at the cadets as he spoke.
"They're aiming to push us into close quarters combat. If we get dragged into that right now, we won't win. We have to take them down before they get close. Don't make any mistakes."
Ernest's voice was firm—almost chilling as he spoke.
"One bullet for every life. That goes for yours, and for theirs."
If anyone else had said it, it might not have meant much. But after being trained by Haires to trust his life to every bullet, Ernest's words sounded desperate—and almost a little frightening—even to cadets the same age as him.
"Form up. They could come from anywhere."
"Uh, Ernest. Shouldn't we try to find a better position?"
Jonas asked, still flustered and swallowing hard, overwhelmed by Ernest's intensity. That's a fair point, but Ernest shook his head.
"That would be too obvious."
Just like how, in the first battle, Wilfried positioned his line next to the swamp to secure one flank, they could also protect one side if they fought like that. But if, right now, Ernest were to suddenly halt and form up next to the swamp before dropping the Barrier, it would look incredibly suspicious.
If a trap smells like people, the prey will never come near. Even if it involves risk, you need to dig a trap that will definitely work.
"Form up."
It felt strange to everyone, seeing Ernest—usually so cautious and respectful—now barking out such sharp orders. But remembering that Haires Krieger had been his instructor, this was probably closer to Ernest's true command style.
The cadets dropped to one knee and formed a circular formation. Standing at the center with Marie on his back, Ernest glanced around and gave a firm nod.
"Marie. Turn off the Barrier."
Marie immediately shut off the Barrier.
Whoosh!
The wind and rain, held at bay by the Barrier, now whipped into a frenzy, battering the cadets hard enough that it seemed they might be knocked over. Ernest, who had been standing tall, almost lost his balance, and Marie—thinking that they were both about to topple—wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as she clung on.
Thud!
But Ernest didn't go down. Instead, he steadied himself, bracing with a hand on the shoulder of a kneeling cadet in front of him.
Amid the storm, even through the overwhelming roar of rain and wind, a painful silence circled fiercely among them. The downpour stung their eyes, making it almost impossible to keep them open. Pulling the raincoat's hood further down did nothing to stop it.
"Focus!"
But unlike his usual calm and measured tone, Ernest's voice crashed like thunder. Instantly, everyone snapped to attention, staring intensely at what lay before them.
Their bodies, soaked to the bone and chilled to the core, felt as if every hair was standing on end. No, that wasn't it—it was the razor-sharp intensity in Ernest's voice that made it impossible to let their guard down for even a moment. For a split second, it felt as though this really was a fight for their lives. The fear crept in, cold and real.
"..."
Ernest moved his gaze restlessly, his hand resting on the shoulders of the cadets forming the circular formation around him. With one hand gripping Marie's thigh to keep her steady, Marie desperately used the last of her strength to wrap her legs tightly around Ernest's waist, hanging on so she wouldn't slip. Thankfully, she'd regained a little energy during the time she'd been carried and the warmth from Ernest's body had helped take off some of the chill.
"Stand by!"
Soon after, Ernest gave the order to stand by. The Imperial Army cadets were already holding their positions well and didn't understand the reason for the command. But before long, they spotted figures beyond the wind and rain and gritted their teeth.
The enemy was closing in, forming a tightening net of encirclement from all sides. They were now completely surrounded.
The previous two battles had been grueling. However, unlike Ernest's platoon, which had fought twice as part of the Alliance Army, the platoons led by Wilfried and Ferdinand—who had fought only once as the Imperial Army—still had some stamina left. Those two battles had also helped them acclimate, if only a little, to fighting in this torrential downpour.
Even as the enemy stumbled and tumbled across the muddy ground, they kept getting up and charging forward again. Seeing this, the Imperial Army cadets, growing desperate, tried to squeeze their triggers.
"Stand by!"
But as soon as Ernest's stand-by command rang out once more, everyone's fingers froze as if on cue. Squinting against the rainwater streaming down his face, Ernest tried to judge the distance to the enemy through his terrible, rain-blurred vision. About thirty paces. Even under these conditions, Ernest could gauge with uncanny precision that vaguely dangerous distance Robert had described.
The enemy had drawn uncomfortably close. Now, they could see each other clearly, almost as if their eyes met. The Alliance Army cadets, spotting the crossbows aimed at them, hurriedly fired in response. However, even for Imperial Army cadets, the effective range of their crossbows was barely thirty paces—so there was no way the alliance's shots would reach at this distance.
"Fire!"
At last, Ernest gave the order to fire. The Imperial Army cadets pulled their triggers, and the wooden bolts, battered by wind and rain, flew off—some striking true, others missing their mark.
"Marie!"
Ernest immediately called out to Marie. Marie gritted her teeth and focused her mind, conjuring up the Balt Shield.
"What! How is that possible!"
Though the shield was smaller than in the previous two battles, it still clearly radiated a blue Balt Light. The Alliance Army cadets couldn't help but be stunned. They had truly believed Marie's strength was spent.
"Reload!"
Ernest gave the order, and the Imperial Army cadets, their hands and crossbows soaked with water, struggled to reload. It took quite a bit of time, but that was alright. Most of the Alliance Army cadets, startled by the appearance of the Balt Shield, had frozen in their tracks.
"As soon as the shield drops, fire! Marie, drop it!"
Ernest shouted out the command again. As soon as the shield faded, the Imperial Army fired, taking down the Alliance Army cadets who had been charging forward and had almost reached them.
After the volley, even without Ernest's orders, Marie immediately created another shield. The Imperial Army cadets also reloaded on their own initiative.
"Good. You're doing well."
Ernest said, a bit out of breath Marie suddenly twisted her face and hugged Ernest tightly. Peeking out from over Ernest's shoulder, she unknowingly bit her lip hard. Even as bright red blood trickled down her chin, she didn't notice a thing.
Truly, Marie was giving everything she had right now. Just hearing a single word of encouragement—"Hang in there"—was enough for her to push past her limits. And on top of that, Ernest praised her for making a good, independent decision, something she normally wouldn't have been allowed to do.
"Marie!"
At the sound of Ernest calling her name, Marie dropped the shield again. The Imperial Army cadets fired another volley. Since the enemy was closer now, their accuracy improved. After four volleys in a row, fewer than ten Alliance Army cadets remained.
For the fifth volley, the Balt Shield dropped once more, and another round was fired.
This time, six Alliance Army cadets were eliminated.
"Khah!"
At that moment, Ferdinand, who had crawled flat on the ground like Ernest and dodged all the bullets, suddenly sprang to his feet and charged forward. He had quietly counted the time Marie needed to conjure another shield and seized this brief window of vulnerability.
Ernest was the first among the Imperial Army cadets to react. He was constantly scanning the battlefield with those restless eyes, taking everything in at once. He grabbed the crossbow hanging in front of his chest with one hand. There was no time to reload. Seeing Ferdinand charging at him, Ernest immediately prepared to enter close quarters combat.
"······."
But Ernest couldn't move forward. Marie was still on his back. He didn't know how to fight with someone on his back—especially when that person was currently their strongest and most crucial asset.
In the brief moment that Ernest hesitated, Ferdinand pushed past the Imperial Army cadets and broke through their formation. He swung the bayonet mounted on his crossbow with fierce precision.
Even if Ernest was in perfect condition and fighting alone, winning in close combat against Ferdinand would have been difficult. The physical difference between them was just too great. Ernest quickly gripped his crossbow tightly with both hands and took up a defensive stance.
"Kh!"
At that very moment, a flash of blue Balt Light blazed. Nobody could tell what had just happened—it all unfolded so quickly.
"The enemy is still here! Keep fighting!"
At Ernest's shout, the Imperial Army cadets snapped back to their senses and opened fire on the Alliance Army cadets who were charging at them.
"Ferdinand!"
Ernest raised his voice and called out to Ferdinand. Far off, Ferdinand, who had been sent flying and was rolling on the ground, staggered to his feet.
"Pah!"
Ferdinand spat forcefully. His mouth stung; it felt like something inside had torn. Pain shot through his hands and arms. He realized that when his wooden crossbow had shattered, splinters had struck his hand. The pain in his arm was dull—a bruise.
"I'm fine!"
For any other first-year cadet, collapsing into tears right now wouldn't have been surprising, but Ferdinand simply shouted that out as if nothing was wrong, then grumbled under his breath and tucked his hand beneath his raincoat.
Letting the wound get wet in the rain would only make things worse. As it was, his skin was already swollen and waterlogged.
The battle ended quickly. Under Ernest's command, there hadn't been a single fatality among the Imperial Army cadets. It was because Ferdinand had targeted only Ernest and Marie with his attacks.
"Good grief. That was a flawless victory."
Yet, the Imperial Army cadets couldn't celebrate this remarkable victory. They, too, were so stunned that it didn't feel real.
"Marie."
Ernest called out to Marie. But Marie couldn't answer. She was completely exhausted. In that moment, she had used Balt far too recklessly in order to protect Ernest, and, reaching her mental limit, she fainted.
For Marie, this was truly beyond her limit. Normally, there was no way she could have used such strong and swift power in her condition.
Ernest adjusted his grip and carried the limp Marie on his back, letting out a long sigh.
"Phew... We won! Let's get out of this damn place as fast as we can!"
It was only after Ernest's triumphant declaration echoed out that the cadets were finally able to fully grasp that the last mock battle had ended in a victory for the Imperial Army.
But this victory was unmistakably more meaningful than either of the previous two.