Published at 26th of January 2026 4:19 am

Chapter 324

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

[3, 2, 1. Starting.]

When the Mimesis broadcast turned on, Elias quickly scanned the screen.

It is inside a building. Coincidentally, they received a spacious general store as the field, just like the day they witnessed the 98th Class's murder scene.

A 5-person system without Albert Mecklenburg. Luka is commanding from outside Mimesis. Among those who entered the field, the Vice-Captain Erich Reichenau has the most outstanding skills, and the next most outstanding person is the orange-haired Mage Luka asked about earlier.

'It was Nina Mackensen.'

Earlier, this person set up a barrier to guide the berserker's movement path in a direction favorable to the 98th Class. Her magic's stability and speed are very excellent, but as could be seen from the barrier melting immediately earlier, her Magic Power itself is rather in the lower ranks.

And there was the Mage with the nastiest impression among them—his surname was Lieb—who was at least a person comparable to Nina Mackensen. His technical skills are not good, but his Magic Power is strong, so he could be seen as having completely opposite properties to Nina Mackensen.

The skills of the remaining two were just so-so. Instead, the unique ability of the person named Hindenburg was worth watching. He was an ability user who could teleport anywhere visible without chanting coordinates.

I had already investigated all the members of the Special Operations Command with my friends. Since it is difficult to memorize every single useless detail like this, I only remember parts of what I investigated.

[Good. Split into 3 and 2 and enter through the front door and back door.]

Nina Mackensen and Hindenburg were at the back door, and all the rest entered through the front door. Everyone's expressions were not very good, but their condition could not be called bad either. Perhaps conscious of the gaze, they were running properly instead of walking sluggishly.

"They are running unexpectedly well."

"......."

At Elias's words, Narce looked at Elias as if he were absurd and laughed soundlessly. Does Narce already know the future, or did he deliberately not read it? Elias was about to ask for a hint but stopped and looked ahead.

When about 30 seconds had passed, they went up to the 3rd floor where the berserker was and watched the situation.

[Grrr... Ugh....]

The berserker was walking out of the restroom casually while making weak, strange sounds. It is important what kind of emotion they were engulfed in just before the rampage; listening to the sounds it made, this one seemed to have rampaged because of sadness rather than anger. Since going berserk upon receiving an attack is the same, it was information used only for the initial response.

'And when aiming for under 5 minutes, the initial response is the most important.'

Elias, who was looking ahead while thinking that, raised his eyebrows. If there is a slight problem here... it is that the restroom was close to the back door.

"......."

The berserker coming out of the restroom discovered the Mages and froze.

'Wow... awkward.'

This time of staring at each other with open mouths felt like an aeon. Seeing that he gave no instructions, it seemed Luka was also watching the situation.

[Ugh....]

The berserker gestured passively and moved its mouth covered in mud. At that moment, Elias realized. Whether a bit of reason remained, the berserker was currently trying to talk to the Mages. He had not experienced such a case personally, but he knew because he heard it from Luka. The berserker must be asking to be taken to a hospital right now, or lamenting about the event that stimulated his emotions just before the rampage, without realizing the fact that he had rampaged.

However, only Nicolaus or someone of that level would know this; there is no way the Mages including the 98th Class would know this.

[...Front door trio, scatter to 9 o'clock, 12 o'clock, and 3 o'clock directions respectively.]

BANG—!

Luka was a bit faster. The moment a Mage at the back door took an attack stance with a wary face, the berserker hesitated, then turned around and started running at full speed. Vitriol began to flow crazily following his path. An ordinary berserker is attracted to Magic Power and rather rushes at the Mage, but this side realized the Mage was trying to harm him and was running away.

[Your Excellency Reichenau, prepare your unique ability. Since it is indoors, it would be good to utilize Your Excellency's unique ability.]

'Hmm, right.'

Even without that, in the cross-section of the general store seen through Mimesis, the floor starting from the stairs on the front door side had turned completely white.

While Leo's ability shines outdoors, in cases where one cannot unfold their ability in a wide range because unique ability development is less advanced like the 98th Class Team A Vice-Captain Erich Reichenau, indoors with many obstacles is rather better. Since the places the berserker can move are limited, it is easy to utilize the spots frozen previously.

[Anyway, why is that thing running!]

[It has reason. The two at the back door, please use guided attack formulas with the attack power of Magic Power lowered to the extreme, and the three at the front door, do not lose the lead while inducing the berserker so it cannot escape to each store and the stairs.]

It sounds like an ambiguous request, but it is clear. It means for everyone to become beaters for now.

'Wow, making them beaters already.'

Earlier, we drove it from when about 3 minutes had passed. I thought it was a bit fast, but unlike the general case, since this berserker is focusing on running away instead of attacking, if Luka had not given this instruction, they would have been playing hide-and-seek with the berserker in this huge general store. Even so, it was lucky that the berserker's attention was staying exactly on the one point of 'escape'. Although luck followed well regarding the berserker's tendency, without Luka's experience and judgment, they would not have been able to utilize that luck. If they missed the initiative in an instant and let the berserker leak to another path, they would surely exceed 5 minutes.

The deep wrinkles formed on Mecklenburg's forehead are noticeable.

[Your Excellency Mackensen, Your Excellency Reichenau. We will start now. I will count the numbers. Your Excellency Hindenburg, please move to the front on the count of 2, and when I count 3, install a curtain overlapping on top of Your Excellency Reichenau's unique ability. In that 1 second, we will superimpose the Magic Power of the four excluding Your Excellency Lieb.]

As expected, for the bullet role, it is good to use a Mage overflowing with Magic Power even if technical skill is lacking. The Mage he called Lieb was precisely the person whose Magic Power amount stood out next to Erich Reichenau.

[Understood.]

[Before that, I will ask everyone.]

The 98th Class Team A drove the berserker to the middle of the hallway while continuously shooting magic toward the stairs. While blocking the doors and inducing it not to enter the stores, they waited for Luka's words.

[Can you produce an artifact bullet effect with the intensity of the seniors' Magic Power?]

At that question, the person with the strongest Magic Power among the three who came up to the front door suddenly flew into a rage.

[Why wouldn't it work?! This...! Earlier, you said all sorts of things, and now you are joking...!]

[It should work. However, since I must present a method that anyone can do immediately without practice at this seat, we will go like this.]

Luka inhaled briefly, then spoke to that Mage with a clear voice.

[Your Excellency Lieb, take out the revolver.]

[...Huh?]

"Ah."

The friends sitting around, as well as the 91st Class, made flustered faces. A revolver at this point....

Soon, Elias, who quickly retraced exactly what Lucas had claimed until now, giggled while mimicking clapping. Ulrike, who had been stiff, opened her mouth wide as if realizing the situation belatedly.

"Uh uh uh?! Ah!"

[Only one shot is permitted. I repeat. It is one shot. I will give the signal to Senior with 'now'. Please prepare.]

[N-No, are you distrusting my Magic Power...!]

[3, 2, 1. Now!]

[Th...!]

BANG—!

That explosion sound was the start. I saw the sound of breaking glass piercing the eardrums sharply as various Magic Powers turned into light and scattered. I had the illusion that the explosion vibration, which could not possibly be transmitted, was transferring to these seats.

The nape of my neck stiffened at the unpleasant roar where various types of sounds were superimposed. Heike, who was sitting in the row below, covered her ears with her hands without a word.

Then, a dull impact sound and the sound of Magic Power pushing the air with strong force were heard.

It is the end.

[Cough....]

The sound of someone vomiting something like mud from their mouth was heard. With this, they caught the berserker's opening and broke the core.

BEEP—

[2 minutes 34 seconds elapsed.]

The sound heard now was the announcement confirming Luka's victory.

Elias smiled while looking down at the stadium where Mimesis was displayed just until a moment ago.

It reduced even more than earlier. Although luck followed that the berserker's attention was focused on escape from the beginning, saying they handled it within this much time means Luka's command for each of them was the optimal choice at every moment.

I am glad. The 91st Class is showing a favorable reaction to Luka. The representative Mage felt interest in the 98th Class Vice-Captain's unexpected good fight, and next, he realized that the leader of that game was Luka, not the 98th Class Vice-Captain, and next... I don't know what meeting they had this morning, but by now he was satisfied with Luka's rational argument. The current of the entire 91st Class is also not much different from that representative Mage's will. He properly satisfied the expectation of the name Askanian.

However, the instinctive anxiety arising now was something else; concern surged that the public opinion Luka just laid out might be overturned since they used firearms.

'...Hmm. Actually, there is no need to worry either.'

Luka probably utilized a tool leaving Lieb's Magic Power alone at this moment on purpose. Since it was not a brilliant idea, it was something anyone could mention at any time. And as a rebuttal to Luka's argument at that. Rather than that, Luka had to strike first, and yet there must have been a reason why he shouldn't have mentioned it beforehand but had to show it now.

Mecklenburg mentioned total cost earlier. In other words, he claimed that the cost of training centering on firearms is less than the cost of training according to Luka's method. The cost here refers to time and effort.

It is actually so.

Using minimal Magic Power only for herding and surrounding, and focusing on shooting accuracy.

Acting as beaters or decoys to drive the berserker's attention to one place, everyone outputting the strongest curtain magic at the same timing, and shooting a Magic Power aggregate into the curtain—using a revolver—matching the fleeting timing before the berserker who saw the curtain makes the next decision.

It is self-evident which is easier and takes less practice volume. While the former just requires polishing individual shooting skills—the point that everyone has handled firearms since single-digit ages eliminates the psychological barrier—the latter requires adjusting coordination between team members until completely adapted, just like any other training. Even if Luka succeeded right away, it becomes a different story when it comes to other teams' training.

And regarding the total cost of the latter training, there is no difference whether one sends out a Magic Power aggregate cartridge using a revolver or sends out a Magic Power aggregate using a Wand. In other words, even if using a tool, that development process is completely different from Mecklenburg's method.

'Even so... if he said this from the beginning, well, he would have just gotten permission quickly and ended it.'

However, Luka, who always desires precision, probably worried about the possibility that the essence of what he was trying to say would be blurred if he stated this fact from the beginning. As Luka said when commanding earlier, it is best to use a revolver only when it must be 'something anyone can do immediately without practice'. It is an obvious fact that citizens would be absurd and anxious if one pulls out a gun at any rescue scene.

Luka basically wants to implement Magic Power aggregates using a Wand, but if he said soft things like 'In case Magic Power amount is lacking, you may borrow the power of an artifact to break the curtain'—even if it is an obvious statement—from the start, there was a problem that Mecklenburg, an active proponent of firearms, could intercept the flow to his advantage. Since an argument possesses different persuasiveness depending on the arrangement of the story and the audience's readiness even when saying the same thing, Luka chose to use shock therapy first rather than being flexible from the start, choosing to go hard first and postpone compromise for later.

'He calculates immensely even in trivial things.'

If I moved calculating this and that, I would collapse from annoyance. It seems orator is his calling, but living just giving speeches all his life would also be good. However, actually, it wasn't that complex of a calculation and anyone would have tried this much consideration in this situation, and since Elias himself also didn't need to choose a route where there was room to suffer even a little more loss, he would have made a choice not much different from Luka.

Luka and the 98th Class Team A returned here in no time. I see the 98th Class with complicated and subtle expressions and Luka looking relieved.

The gaze of the 91st Class representative Mage was fixed on Luka's face. Elias cast Sound Insulation Magic and leaned toward the friend who returned to the seat next to him.

"...I've seen you commanding a lot so let's say that's that. Those seniors moved more properly than I thought; how did you do it~? Huh?"

"We got close."

Luka said with a bashful expression.

'Huh.'

At that moment, Elias was certain. He doesn't know for sure, but for some reason, it seemed the aftereffects of the acting hadn't ended yet. Setting aside whether they got close or not.... He was absolutely not a friend to make this kind of expression!

As expected, when he spat out the next words, his facial muscles began to return to the shape of his usual brusque smile in no time.

"So, it seems this matter is somewhat settled now. What do you think?"

***

"Even though we resolved the Pentalon terror, honestly, it didn't feel real."

"Does it feel real now?"

"Properly."

We finished the short—for me, eventful—verification time of the morning, handled a report, and returned. Today, we came taking a detour to where the official residences are, and I hear the sounds of the 91st Class team leader Mages conversing.

"Seeing him talk, he could be a Federal Committee member right now."

"Right, he probably has no experience, but he did well."

Since they were words spoken with laughter, it wasn't to the extent of claiming he truly should do so, but I will gratefully accept the praise for now.... Feeling awkward, I quickly turned my steps and went back the way I came.

And I encountered the person I didn't want to run into anyway.

"Ah."

"......."

Mecklenburg discovered me and smiled faintly. I nodded for now.

My thoughts changed. Because he was leading Vitriol detection dogs, I didn't want to run into him again. The dogs were not at fault, but I couldn't help it because I wasn't very familiar with large animals seeing them for the first time.

Now that I look, I saw the appearance of other Mage soldiers dragging dogs behind him. Mecklenburg gestured for them to go first, smiled, and approached me.

"Making everyone you meet your side is a pleasant thing. Isn't that so?"

"......."

"I wonder if that is also something you resemble your older brother in."

"When did I ever make everyone my side...."

"Good. You resemble him even in things like this."

Mecklenburg took another step closer and spoke.

Is he telling me not to feign ignorance?

Immediately after ending the morning's verification, the 91st Class prohibited firing directly at the berserker instead of the curtain, and from now on, Albert Mecklenburg can no longer use the method he was obsessed with.

From now on, he and the 98th Class Team A must use the method I proposed as is.

So it would look like the 91st Class became my side.

'And... seeing this guy react like this, it seems the five members of the 98th Class Team A didn't speak very negatively of me after the verification ended.'

Making everyone I meet my side; when on earth did I do that?

Isn't he reacting like this because the reaction of the 98th Class Team A, who received my command, was much better than Mecklenburg expected? The reason I speculate like this is... perhaps that strategy I intended to use on Mecklenburg first worked well on the 98th Class Team A members, as I also felt them treating me much more softly than expected throughout the time commanding them and returning. It was to the extent of being flustered.

So... Mecklenburg could well feel isolated right now. For this person, who would likely not reveal antipathy openly, to say such words to me directly was different from usual in itself.

"No one is on my side."

"......."

"Are you not worrying in advance? The 98th Class seniors are perfectly Your Excellency Mecklenburg's colleagues and subordinates."

Despite mentioning the 98th Class, instead of being dumbfounded, he stared at me quietly and opened his mouth.

"You blocked the use of firearms as you wished, so you must feel relieved."

"Rather than prohibiting firearms...."

"You defined our method as firearm abuse, and the 91st Class seniors prohibited firearm abuse. Are you trying to play word games with me?"

"No."

"Is that all you have to say?"

I rolled my eyes and met his gaze seriously.

"I wish to get along well with Your Excellency too."

"......."

He, who was staring at me, frowned slightly and then laughed.

"That worked out well. I am also the same."

You would always say that. I answered with a smile.

"It is an honor. Then, I will now...."

"Before that."

As he reached out his hand, the dogs sitting on the spot approached me. I reflexively stepped back.

"It was lucky to run into you just while I was helping the soldiers. For the time being, you handle the management of military dogs here."

Hmm....

Were there military dogs here in the first place? And no matter that I have a temporary house and am living here, strictly speaking, I am a borrowed class, so why me for this? You, who are 100% affiliated here, do it.

But I had no intention of speaking like a simpleton.

"I apologize, but there must be a separate unit in charge of military dog management in the Prussian Army, so for me to take charge...."

"Many things changed thanks to Sir Askanian's reforms."

He tilted his head slightly and smiled faintly. I have never reformed things like this. First, it was possible to predict that an order related to this came down from above.

'Suddenly? Is it related to the reason for gathering the A Class to make a new team?'

Starting from bringing dogs that weren't here originally, the possibility of this being this guy's arbitrary decision was low. Then why dogs? Surely it's not telling us to go around finding berserkers directly without waiting for a berserker report....

While I guessed their plan, Mecklenburg smiled calmly as usual.

"Even if called management, there won't be much for you, a Mage, to do. Since you just need to familiarize yourself with the Magic Power properly until instructions for full-scale utilization come down. The 98th Class Team B was almost going to take charge of that management during the adaptation period, but they said they have no spare time at all because they have to change their training method. The 101st Class would already be familiar with your training method so.... You can make time, right?"

"I do not understand that the 98th Class Team B was almost going to take charge. Basically, this is not our job."

"If you cannot believe it, go and ask."

He spoke in a soft voice.

"In my view, it seems you would match well with these friends, so I do not know if there is a reason to complain."

"......."

I scoffed. I wondered if he distinguished between public and private matters, but as expected.

He opened my hand and passed the leash to me. I smiled, thinking I should warp immediately and call someone to help.

The operation I thought I should use on Mecklenburg is still valid. To prepare for that, I opened my mouth.

"Is Senior ordering me?"

Mecklenburg glanced back at me. There was no answer yet, but I acted with the expression from earlier as is and said.

"It is an honor."

***

For three days after that, we repeated handling reports and training like crazy.

The initial grades have lost any meaning now. Most of the 91st Class dropped to Class B, and the 98th Class Team A put up a good fight as expected and mostly maintained their spots, but the majority of the remaining 98th Class dropped from Class B to Class C and D.

And....

As heard before, I rose to Class A.

There were familiar names belonging to Class A together, and naturally, Albert Mecklenburg is there as a representative.

"You can do it. You know, right?!"

"Yeah...."

Today, Ulrike was cheering for me with a face full of spirit. Today was the day of the last strategy training, and once this time passes, we don't have to play training games or the like anymore.

'Instead, we'll go into actual combat.'

Though I haven't heard what actual combat it is yet.

It is an important seat. Since it is training to select the general commander of the newly created team. In terms of training performance, this seat effectively means 1st place. The reason Ulrike is behaving like this is also clear; it's because it was a seat where even some Chief of Staff came to evaluate.

"It's just not great that you are on the same team as that... Senior. With Leo on top of that situation...."

Ulrike couldn't finish her words and sighed deeply. I replied lightly to that concern full of complaints.

"Tell me about it."

It is a game where the top 4 of Class A are divided into two to be dropped into Mimesis and evaluated on strategy. I am on the same team as Albert Mecklenburg, and I have Leo and the 91st Class representative Mage as the opposing team.

'Of course, even if we are the same team, we are competitors in the final result announcement.'

Because rankings are assigned to individuals.

I nodded to Leo standing on the other side of the hallway and entered the waiting room. Mecklenburg, who had entered first, looked at me expressionlessly and turned his head.

Previously, Narce told me, 'He doesn't just dislike you blindly because he overlaps you with Adrian Askanian.'

This remark of Narce was good data. Soothing the hostility of the 98th Class Team A a few days ago was also possible starting from this remark.

First, regarding what emotion Mecklenburg holds toward me, that is important yet unimportant. The time when how he perceives me is used importantly is when I know his exact reverse scale and intend to utilize it in the right place.

And the part where how he perceives me is unimportant is that whether he is inwardly satisfied with me—that won't happen—or not, I had no intention of leaving alone the sight of shooting guns recklessly without knowing the value of human life, and I had no intention of leaving him alone when he would continue to be hostile to me until the hierarchy is confirmed in his heart.

The firearm matter is completely finished, so it is done. Now the time has come to handle the second problem.

[Please enter.]

As soon as I entered, this announcement sound was heard. It was worth entering late on purpose for the timing. As Mecklenburg opened the waiting room door first and went outside, I followed behind him.

"Same team."

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