Published at 17th of December 2025 9:17 pm

Chapter 315

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

A revolver was placed in my hand along with the sound of a corpse falling.

Perhaps the cartridge was an artifact, as Magic Power flowed from the cylinder. I stared at the lump of metal that had just killed a person, then slowly raised my head to look at the person who had put it in my hand. The sight of the 98th class Mages watching to see what I would do brushed past my vision.

"There are three shots left, try it. You need to practice penetrating Vitriol too."

Mecklenburg's words buzzed in my ears and scattered.

"......."

As if killing a person wasn't enough, he told me to practice shooting at the corpse.

They had no intention of rescuing people. Neither the government nor the 98th class. What happened to all the people they handled until now? Since they probably only handled Grade 4 and below, maybe they didn't kill them?

"It would be good to practice when the opportunity arises. When the Vitriol disperses on the first shot, you have to shoot twice in succession. You probably trained with single action during basic military training at the Third Academy, but you shouldn't do that here where Vitriol restores itself in seconds. Fortunately, you are New Humans, so you have an advantage over anyone in terms of speed."

Silence flowed as no one answered. Mecklenburg's amber eyes, Elias next to him, the 98th class watching our reaction. Burst Vitriol and dark red blood.... The blood flowed up to the toe of my boots. Until then, we didn't say a word. Because there was so much to say, we couldn't utter a single word. What they needed was not a few words of rebuke, shouting, and anger.

"Can you not hear me?"

"......."

I looked once again at the revolver held in my hand, no one else's. I now recalled the fact that there were people among the 98th class who were the same age as Adrian Askanian. Before that, I thought about the dead Berserker and the reason they called for 10 minutes of leeway, and now I understood the meaning of the hospital nurse's words, 'please make sure no sounds are heard'.

The 98th class was busy watching their weak-hearted juniors. They must be happy to be able to legally discipline us. The dead person is not in their consideration.

"I think we should end it here for today. I guess I asked too much of a Mage who just started working."

Mecklenburg's voice stuck clearly.

This is probably not just their problem. The fact that they casually show murder to juniors they see for the first time means this method is a shortcut the government turns a blind eye to, even if not officially recommended. They probably don't consider this murder and genuinely think it's a 'good method' as they said.

Feeling that the smell of blood was actually calming my breathing, and at the same time feeling my Magic Power reacting to that smell, I looked into Mecklenburg's eyes.

"What are your impressions?"

Mecklenburg, who was taking out the signal device, looked around as if dumbfounded and pointed to himself.

"Are you asking for my impressions right now?"

"Yes. I asked Your Excellency Albert Mecklenburg."

"I am satisfied since everyone survived safely. And since it's your first time, to give you some advice patiently, asking a question first when not given the opportunity to ask might not look good to others."

He glanced at my friends and me, then smiled.

"Looking at your expressions, the resistance seems significant, but I feel I should help our precious 101st class juniors use the most economical and rational method soon."

I get it.

Soon, he will call us out under the pretext of disciplining us. If we don't increase efficiency even though they 'help', they will consider it insubordination. Therefore, there is no reason for me to shoot the corpse in the first place. If you believe we won't be harassed if we follow their unreasonable orders, that's an idealistic idea of someone who has never experienced military discipline. Our 101st class is bound to be tormented by the 98th class no matter what we do, and for the situation to improve, we either have to wait for the 102nd class to come in or endure a period of absolute obedience to the 98th class's words until they lose interest or acknowledge us.

Mecklenburg opened his hand, politely pointed at me, and asked.

"So, now I want to hear what your impressions are."

"It is kind of you to ask for my opinion too."

My friends on the other side looked at me with eyes filled with terror. I see it only now. I turned my gaze away from them and answered.

"It was the most short-sighted behavior I have ever seen or heard in my life."

The air became cold as ice. I slowly looked around at the expressions of the rest of the 98th class hardening, excluding Mecklenburg. Imprinting those expressions one by one in my mind, I opened my mouth.

"Turn back."

***

"...In fact, let alone the 98th class, we haven't even met the 100th class seniors, haven't been to the Special Operations Command Headquarters, and haven't heard the system of how this special whatever runs."

I hear Elias's words I heard earlier. I see the expression of the official who looks like he's tolerating it because he's from a ruling family, although annoyed.

Leo, who was walking ahead, turned back toward me for a moment and then walked looking forward again. His face is pale. Even seeing his coldly closed mouth and tense eyes, one couldn't fail to feel that it was an expression riddled with anger.

It was difficult for me to continue my thoughts fully as well, but since there was something I needed to know right now, I had to suppress my emotions.

"When will firearms be issued?"

"......."

When I asked abruptly, my friends' surprised gazes turned to me. They would wonder why we need to be issued Old Human weapons, and I also don't have certainty that they will necessarily be issued.

First, what do I need to know?

First of all, I need to know if it's true that 'everyone' does this, as Albert Mecklenburg said.

The official glanced back with a puzzled face, wondering when I heard that news, and answered.

"If you write a request, we give it immediately."

"Do many people use them?"

"I heard there are people who carry them for protection when dealing with high-risk Berserkers. Because if something goes wrong, they could die at the hands of a Berserker."

"For protection. Then is it used only in unavoidable situations?"

"According to regulations, of course."

"......."

According to regulations. The word regulation was funny.

"Is there a procedure to check if it was used appropriately?"

"No."

The official answered briefly. Then he continued in a calm voice.

"Use your discretion."

Kill with discretion.

I understood well. As expected, the state is also an accomplice.

"How many cartridges can we receive at once?"

"I understand that 30 rounds per person are issued every month."

Should I at least praise them for setting a limit? Now even the obvious is very grateful. He said earlier we have to shoot three times, so let's say one person handles 10 reports with what they received. If there are at least five people in a team, they can handle 50 reports. Since this is a calculation when shooting exactly three times, even assuming we halve it safely, 25 times means we can end most reports coming into one team in a month by killing. The official, perhaps finding me annoying now too, cut off the questions.

"Even if you ask me more, I only handle report assignment affairs so I don't know well."

"Yes, I see."

I answered soullessly and looked toward the Victory Column. It's not just the 98th class's problem, but it is a clearly determined future that they will kill a person soon. Even if we turn back time a bit more and avoid meeting the 98th class altogether, they will commit murder in the 5-story general store and call us out someday. Nothing is solved by running away.

I pulled Leo back and cast a sound-proofing Spell. However, Leo opened his mouth before I could say anything.

"Immediately after the first shot, I'll do it."

"......."

In this situation, I can't not know what he means to do. I walked looking only forward without affirming or denying.

Leo's opinion is the same as mine. I usually thought we were really different, but whenever he's like this, I realize once again why he and I are friends. Ultimately, it must be because the place we look at is not that different in the end.

Instead of answering that I understood his answer, I changed the topic slightly.

"Our affiliation changed too; I wonder if we'll go to the brig at this rate."

"Hmm, your way of thinking is a bit like soldiers."

"......."

It means how can a member of a ruling family worry that far in peacetime. At Leo's—completely unintentional—Royalty-like remark, I was at a loss for words, and at the same time, thanks to his words, I was able to conclude my conjecture about the danger our plan this time would evoke. Leo, perhaps having thought about my words carefully in the meantime, added briefly.

"Even if I go, I won't change my choice. You will too."

Right. Since the result is the same wherever we flee, I am the same.

Leo, standing in front of the 98th class, looked at the revolver holster hanging on Mecklenburg's waist. They acted no differently from before and spoke words no different from before. I don't know what state of mind they walked in with. Like that, we arrived at the 5-story general store again.

"...Nothing else, but I heard it took you 15 minutes to suppress a Berserker, so I called you because I have something to teach you."

[Ugh.... Uh-uh-uh....]

The magic light pierced my eyes unpleasantly. The Berserker wandering far away made only sounds hard to hear, unaware of its fate. None of us responded, and Leo and I exchanged glances. Mecklenburg looked around us and said.

"Recommended time, good. But if we keep that honestly, we won't live out our natural lifespans. It seemed no one taught you a good method yet. I'll show you how everyone does it, so...."

Albert Mecklenburg took out the revolver from the holster. Time seemed to flow slowly. Leo's Magic Power was calm without a single speck of agitation, feeling as if he had no intention of moving, but Leo will execute the plan immediately after the first gunshot rings, as he said earlier.

"......."

"Watch closely."

That's right. Clearly, I confirmed that Leo's plan was the same as mine. However, on this matter alone, my opinion differed from his.

I have no intention of pushing this onto Leo.

Bang―! Clang―!

When I closed and opened my eyes once, the one shot that went ahead broke my veil cast in front of the Berserker, and the revolver rolled on the floor just before the next shot. Leo's eyes, widened as he lost the initiative to me, quickly distorted.

I snatched the revolver and shouted to my friends.

"Everyone, raise your Wands!"

***

Because our attacks continued to strike the Berserker, the 98th class, missing the opportunity to capture, gave up on using firearms. Our two teams subdued the Berserker with only magic and succeeded in sending the Berserker to the hospital.

So now it was time to follow the set procedure.

"Your back is lowering?"

"......."

At the 98th class vice-leader's words, I took a deep breath and corrected my posture.

Discipline is everywhere.

At this point, I feel sorry for the word discipline, so it might be better to express it as crappy discipline. If it sounds the same, it can't be helped. Starting from the gifted schools kids attend, special purpose high schools operated by class systems, academic high school clubs, universities, the military, some professions, etc.... At least in the times and places I have passed through, such things existed, albeit faintly.

And 19th-century Prussia was the complete version of crappy discipline. The 98th class in front of me now was claiming how New Human-like and rational it was for them to make us 'exercise' without hitting us. Right, in fact, what I am doing now doesn't even count as corporal punishment in this era, so from their perspective, it would certainly be hard to call it disciplining. Even so, seeing them do this to Mages placed in the same position just with different class years, the fundamentals are indeed different no matter what.

"Stop!"

The 98th class vice-leader shouted. Albert Mecklenburg was surprisingly excluded from the punishment, but instead, he laid out a mat and sat watching us. My friends looked at the atmosphere and stood up. I expected what the 98th class would say, but I stood up with them for now. In times like this anyway, it's better to do as told even if it's annoying.

The vice-leader tilted his head with a humorless face.

"I don't know with what shame Askanian is standing up."

'Oh my, sure. If I don't get up, you'll make a fuss about that too.'

It's a problem if I breathe, a problem if I don't. I suppressed a sneer and put my hands on the ground again.

"The rest come forward and turn around."

The remaining six turned to face me. Feeling sweat forming on my chin, I thought. Could I have left this to Leo? It's obvious how he would be harassed. If he, not I, had snatched Mecklenburg's revolver, the person in my place right now would be Leo.

After a while, Mecklenburg made me stand up. He said with a slightly regretful face.

"You know what would happen if what happened today became known to the Command Headquarters. Let's end it at this line. Do you know now how dangerous what you did today was?"

"Yes."

"Then, when we go out to the field together in the future, will you refuse our 98th class's method like today?"

"Yes."

"......."

If you ask if I will refuse murder, of course. Even if these bastards make me do military discipline training every day, I will never withdraw this answer. It is not an area where I dare to say I won't refuse even as empty words.

The expressions of the other Mages standing behind became fierce. Mecklenburg shook his head with a worried face, and I did that crap alone for 30 more minutes after all my friends returned to school.

Hearing that I could return, I stood up, dusted off my clothes, bowed briefly, and left the Imperial Mages' Association's 98th class training ground.

'Funny. Asking if I know what would happen if it became known to the Command Headquarters.'

Nothing happens.

In the first place, they can't report it. They are furious right now at the fact that they lost the initiative in the field to us, the 101st class. Try reporting to the higher-ups under the pretext that we hijacked the scene. Then they would have to mention the fact that they dawdled for 10 minutes, went leisurely, and killed the Berserker using firearms meant only for protection at a moment when their lives weren't threatened; sure, go ahead and report it well.

It's not easy to officially drag out matters that should be handled with discretion, and seeing that the leadership also turns a blind eye to killing, they are in cahoots, but.... They can't discipline us, who aren't commoners and even have a foreigner in our team, and openly side with the 98th class. It's exactly what Leo said earlier.

The reason the 98th class makes us 'polish our mental strength using exercise without beating us up' is actually because they used a humanitarian method since we are from ruling families like them.

'Of course, I have no intention of accepting it continuously.'

I prevented the murder immediately before my eyes with this, but I have two problems now. First, they will continue to kill Berserkers. Second, unless the power structure changes, they will force it on the 101st class too.

So this matter starts from now.

I snapped my fingers reciting the coordinates to move to the school warp point. As soon as my vision turned black, I heard someone's surprised voice.

"Whoa~"

I warped with the thought of lying down on the warp point if I collapsed, but thankfully, someone caught my arm firmly. It was Elias. I see my Eschet friends gathered at the school warp point.

I led them to the dormitory, and as soon as I arrived, I went straight to bed. Not long after, the sound of friends knocking on the door was heard. Even though I clearly heard several voices, perhaps Leo stopped them, as he was the only one who entered.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course."

I pointed to my core and made a gesture asking why he asked when he felt everything until now. Leo, full of fatigue from being harassed all day, showed a smile and spoke clearly.

"I said I would do it, Lukas."

"......."

I knew that would come out from the start. Leo opened his mouth again only after a long time, perhaps trying to swallow his anger.

"I'm not saying you were wrong. I also concluded that the only way to stop the immediate murder was to snatch the gun. If I had snatched it instead...."

Honestly, it would be burdensome if I told the truth about why I stole the initiative. I deliberated on how to answer without being burdensome, but my prediction was pointless as Leo clearly knew my intention. He let out his characteristic cool laugh and said.

"Right, if you come out like that, I have to say it. Is it okay for you to go through something like this? I just have to endure a bit. Anyway, those people can't treat me too harshly because of my status."

"Isn't it the same for me that I just have to endure a bit? If it were Luise or Heike, it would have been worse than this."

"......."

Leo was at a loss for words. Standing looking only at the floor, he sat down silently and used healing magic on my limbs.

"Oh, that's refreshing."

At my admiration, Leo looked at me with eyes wondering what kind of guy this is. I feel a sense of déjà vu. Just as I was about to ask what, unexpected words came from him.

"Thanks."

"......."

"But there's no need to buy hatred like that. Especially you."

"Is that so. Thanks."

Feeling like there was a lot of meaning contained, I didn't particularly want to bring up his past, so I answered briefly. The New Human body is indeed good. I quickly recovered my stamina, jumped up from my seat, and overturned the desk. Taking out a usable notebook and pen, I sat in front of Leo again.

"There's no need to go as far as buying hatred, but actually, we have to turn the 98th class into enemies anyway. Even if we didn't snatch the revolver and stood by the murder, we couldn't have gotten along smoothly from the start. If you think about what Mecklenburg said just before turning back time, the answer comes out."

"...True."

"Cleanly discard relationships we couldn't choose. It's enough to turn one into an enemy but not the whole."

The Imperial Mages' Association, and the entire Special Operations Command we will enter now. Although he still had a worried face, a smile spread faintly on Leo's face.

"...Well. Beyond not turning them into enemies, we should make them ours."

"......."

He is also saying we must crush the 98th class with our own hands. To align with Mr. FM at this moment plotting insubordination, the corners of my mouth curled up slowly without my realizing it.

Right, what am I thinking in front of the person who put a new Emperor on the throne?

I stood up from my seat and said.

"Now the problem is how to win over the whole in earnest. I should bring Elias and Narce."

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