Chapter 94 (2/2)

While Isaac was the subject of everyone’s curious looks, Isaac was feeling very nostalgic at the sight. He remembered the sight of morning a.s.semblies he led after his watch duties during the peaceful days, seeing the faces of his company.

New recruits stiff as a stone. Privates and corporals who had begun to loosen up. Sergeants with their perpetual yawns of boredom. An everyday sight until the war began. Those days were gone, and Isaac shook off the faces whose names he couldn’t remember anymore. Isaac smiled brightly and made his speech.

“Greetings. I welcome you all who volunteered to join the Directorate of Security.”

The audience seemed to gloss over Isaac’s performance without a problem, but those who had suffered under Isaac’s tyranny for a long time couldn’t help but look at him in terror.

Unperturbed by the reactions, Isaac continued to speak with a smile ever-present on his face.

“You will be going through Directorate of Security’s training from today onward to become my most elite agents. If you find the training too difficult, you may simply announce your forfeiture by ringing that bell on the pillar and make your way back. Simple, right? Any questions?”

“I have a question!”

Even before Isaac finished his words, the man who stood at the front of the row raised his hand, and Isaac couldn’t help but feel confused at who it was.

“… Why are you there?”

Isaac never cared about the faces of the volunteers. He never cared for them as a whole. But he couldn’t help but be surprised when he saw who was at the head of the audience.

“It’s to recover my family’s honour and undo the lies that my family had joined hands with demonic turncoats. I am now the only successor to my family, after all.”

Although his choice of words were deferential to Isaac, his tone was as cold and unforgiving as a winter storm.

“Ha. I see you’ve got some b.a.l.l.s. Alright. You pa.s.s.”

“… What?”

Isaac nodded with satisfaction, and Kainen spoke back, dumbfounded.

“I said you pa.s.sed. Get out of the line.”

“T, that’s not fair!”

All of the other volunteers complained at Isaac’s decision, and Isaac turned his head to ask Rivelia.

“What are the conditions to be selected as my agent?”

“… They must have your approval.”

“You heard that? When I say he pa.s.ses, he pa.s.ses.”

“That’s…”

Everyone begrudgingly glared at Kainen, seeing that a seat had already been cheated from them. Kainen seemed unsatisfied by Isaac’s decision and glared back at Isaac as he announced.

“I refuse. I will gain my seat by competing with my rivals under equal conditions. I have no need of your goodwill.”

“So be it.”

Isaac nodded at Kainen’s cold, sharp shout and turned to speak at Rizzly.

“Hand them out.”

With that, the North Bears began distributing the defensive coats to the volunteers one by one.

“They are going to provide these defensive coats just for training?”

“No. The crystals are manufactured.”

“Then its defensive capability will be horrible.”

The veteran agents muttered to each other, while the new graduates seemed excited that they got to wear the defensive coats that were the symbol of Central agents. After some time, all of the volunteers had donned their coats and were awaiting their next orders. Isaac nodded with satisfaction.

“Are you all wondering how the training will go?”

Everyone focused when Isaac said those words.

“I’m sure you are all aware of the benefits once you have been selected for the Directorate of Security.”

Everyone’s eyes went ablaze with determination at those words. They would never be standing here if it weren’t for those benefits.

“Our great Emperor wished to provide all of you with the benefits and couldn’t help but feel sorry that it was impossible with the current situation of the Empire. So, by sc.r.a.ping together everything the Empire had, only 50 of you can receive the Emperor’s favour. What a glorious honour he has bestowed upon us. So, as a College graduate, rank 1 knight, the Administrator and Lord’s Representative of New Port City, and the Director of Security, I will repay the Emperor’s kindness by reducing the number of those that pa.s.s, easing the strain it puts on the Empire.”

Not only the volunteers, but even those that stood behind him sent a look of confusion.

“The training is simple.”

Isaac looked at the weapons arranged in front of him and picked a suitable candidate.

“I will kill you. Your job is to survive. Simple right?”

“What are you-”

But Isaac was a step faster before Rivelia could say something.

“Then let the training begin.”

Tick!

Pulling the pin off the grenade, Isaac threw it into the middle of the volunteers. The recent graduates simply watched the grenade blankly as it traveled in a parabola, while the veteran agents instinctively moved out of the way.

“Get away from it!”

The sight of everyone running away from the grenade was like watching a ripple as some of the slower, inexperienced graduates were caught in the blast.

“Aaack!”

The sudden turn of events thrust the new graduates into a state of confusion, panicking instead of acting. Meanwhile, the veterans demonstrated the difference of experience by taking control of the situation and giving orders.

“Those who learned healing should heal the injured now!”

But Isaac wasn’t the sort to simply watch.

“Now, here’s the next one.”

Click!

Isaac loaded the magazine onto the rifle and pulled the bolt to load it. He then started aiming the barrel at the volunteers, and the veteran agents who were on guard shouted out.

“Everyone get away!”

Tatatata!

Just as the volunteers were about to spread out in all directions at the gunfire, Isaac turned over to Rivelia like a naughty child who had been stopped by his mother.

“I think it’s problematic that you’re stopping me.”

“What do you think you’re doing!”

Just as Isaac was about to direct his fire into the crowd, his gun was pushed up by Rivelia. The two stood right next to each other, perhaps intimately so. But that was not what Rivelia was concerned about at this point.

To think he’d actually attack them. It was fortunate they were wearing the defensive coats despite how inefficient they were; otherwise there would have been casualties.

“You… have you truly gone mad?”

The instructors were just as shocked as everyone else. Lopez especially didn’t hold his fury back, stepping onto the stage slowly. Rivelia quickly realised Lopez intended to kill Isaac and took the gun off Isaac’s hand and blocked Lopez’s path.

“Wait! Master, calm yourself!”

“Do you think this is a scene I should be calm about! How dare he attack my students in front of me!”

Isaac sighed at Lopez’s fury, taking out a cigarette.

“So you’re going to step in? Does that mean I win the bet?”

Lopez flinched, hearing that, and both the instructors and Rivelia’s faces went pale in realisation.

‘This was what he was aiming at!’

Rivelia finally understood why Isaac made such a bet. If he intervened, Lopez had to repeat Isaac’s actions in his stead. If he were to watch, he has to sit and watch volunteers die in front of him. A rock and a hard place. Isaac had sealed the instructors’ fate since the start.

“This is not training!”

Lopez shouted, and Isaac tilted his head in return.

“Haven’t you heard the phrase, ‘train like it’s a battle, battle like it’s training?’”

“That’s not what that phrase means!”

“How is it any different?”

“What kind of training wants to cause casualties!”

Isaac smiled mockingly at Lopez.

“Hey now, that’s different from what you said last time. Didn’t you say your training is so harsh that some die in the process? It’s the same for me. It’s just that my training is so harsh that they die in droves. Did I force them to do this? I gave them defensive coats to help them survive and even provided them with a bell for those who aren’t determined enough to die.”

“…”

The eyes of Lopez grew colder and colder. After a moment of staring, he spoke in a grim tone.

“Leaving you alive now will cause untold disasters for the Empire.”

When Lopez took one step forward, his body disappeared like the fog. Immediately, a blue barrier was projected from Isaac’s coat, but it was cut into shreds like paper. Just as Lopez’s sword was about to pierce Isaac’s neck, Rivelia’s sword cut in between Lopez’s attack and Isaac’s neck..

“Rivelia!”

Lopez cried out in anger, having never expected that she would ever stop him. Rivelia also cried out desperately with a pained expression on her face.

“Please, calm down master!”

“Why do you stop me! He is a danger to us all!”

“… He’s the Director of Security. What you are doing right now is high treason.”

“Just who here actually accepts that joke of a position that is the Director of Security?”

“… I have no choice but to take that as a challenge to the authority of the Emperor and the Grand Council.”

Lopez could only grunt out one more time in anger when his dearest student was pointing her sword at him.

“Rivelia!”

“I have no choice but to stop you, master.”

Rivelia stepped in front of Isaac to protect him, her hands firmly grasping her blade. She too did not like the current situation, but she had no choice.

“Then try as you might to stop me. I will kill that man for the future of the Empire.”

Lopez declared his intentions, and the instructors stepped forward to join Lopez. Kunette grabbed at Isaac’s leg and growled, and the North Bears transformed into bears to protect Isaac and Kunette. Reisha seemed to hesitate for a moment and then sighed as she stood by Isaac’s side.

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EDN: In case you don’t remember, the North Bears regularly take a human form because being in their bear form consumes their mana (ref. Isaac 33).

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The new graduates watched the perilous scene in a blank, while the veteran agents were placed in a predicament.

Rivelia’s warning stopped them from taking the instructors’ side. But joining Rivelia’s side was bound to get them on the instructors’ bad side, which would ruin their relations.h.i.+p with all the other agents.

Isaac simply watched the scene unfold as he smoked. He then threw away the burnt cigarette and spoke.

“So you’re going to kill me? I’m sure the Ark Royale has been dying to have some work on their hands.”

Everyone flinched at Isaac’s words. Considering that the Ark Royale’s greatest hobby was taking things out of scale, not only the instructors that directly challenged the emperor’s authority but their families and even the students that were taught under them would be embroiled in a b.l.o.o.d.y storm at their hands.

Considering they weren’t an organization that could be conversed with, they may even target the students’ families if their fanaticism went out of control. Was that even the worst case scenario?

Crack!

Lopez’s hands trembled wildly. He wouldn’t hesitate to cut down Isaac if it was a personal issue between the two, but considering that he was the Chief Instructor, the Ark Royale would have many loose ends to tie up.

‘Does he not know the Ark Royale had been reprogrammed? I guess that would be considered top secret. The amount of information he can get while stuck in the Campus as an instructor would be limited too. Is his power lacking in comparison to his t.i.tle?’

Deducing possibilities from Lopez’s reaction, Isaac grabbed at another cigarette.

“Why don’t you buzz off if you’re not going to intervene? I need to continue my training, and you’re in the way.”

“… Do you really plan on continuing this madness?”

Rivelia shouted out sharply and Isaac sighed before speaking to her.

“Hey, Damsel. It’ll be a problem if you interfere with me any more. Didn’t I tell you before? Just do what you were told to do. Damsel’s job is to watch my actions and report it to your higher-ups. You don’t have the authority to decide what I do. If you want to stop me, bring an order from the Grand Council. You interfere one more time and I’m just going to let go of everything.”

With that brief warning, Isaac mockingly smirked at Rivelia and Lopez before turning to the volunteers, who simply stood where they were. Isaac clapped to gain their attention and spoke.

“Now, now! Shall we continue our training? Ah! I forgot to say this before, but you fail if you leave the training ground. Now, do continue to survive.”

Isaac grabbed at another rifle on the table and loaded it before sending a hail of bullets at the volunteers.

Tatata!

“Aack!”

“Watch out!”

The volunteers scattered across the yard like drops of water on a hot oiled pan. Isaac emptied the magazine in mere moments. He threw a few more grenades before reloading and continuing to shoot away at the volunteers once more.

Having been firing away without a thought, Isaac frowned, seeing that the volunteers were still completely fine after being shot. Even if its efficiency was poor, it was still a defensive coat. He looked around to find something more suitable and found something that stole his heart.

With the bullet storm ended, everyone let out a sigh of relief. Isaac threw away the smoking rifle and shouted at the volunteers.

“Now, we will have a break. Those who wish to quit may ring the bell now.”

“Th, this is madness. I’m getting out of here!”

Some of the new graduates who had been overcome with fear immediately ran over to the bell, fighting one another to ring the bell first.

Isaac snickered at the sight and commented on it to Lopez.

“I guess your training doesn’t consist of camaraderie?”

Crack!

A drop of blood ran down Lopez’s lip as he fiercely grit his teeth.

“When you’re talking about firepower, it has to be the .50 cal.”

Isaac nodded pleasingly seeing the heavy machine gun that was placed one edge of the table. He began feeding the gun with a belt of bullets larger than an adult’s finger. Lopez quickly shouted out in a panic, knowing just how powerful that weapon was.

“You cannot use that!”

Despite Lopez’s outcry, Isaac pulled the bolt to load the gun and began shooting at the volunteers who stood idly.

Tututu!

With heavy thuds, the bullets pierced the weak barrier from the coat and drove into weak flesh.

“Kuaack!”

“No!”

Blood and flesh flew about in the air amidst the screams before Rivelia stepped forward.

“Stop!”

The wave of mana fired by Rivelia cut the heavy machine gun in half, along with the table it was on. As the machine gun was cut in half, one of the bullets exploded and fragments of the gun flew in all directions.

Isaac looked at the piece of metal that floated in front of his eye. A blue barrier held it in place, and Isaac looked down to see the remnants of the machine gun, which was just a handle at this point. He clicked his tongue and threw it away as if his mood had been ruined.

“I’m done. You can forget about everything that happened.”

Isaac pa.s.sed Rivelia as he grumbled, before Rivelia stopped Isaac in his tracks.

“Is that all you’re going to say? That’s all you’re going to say after killing someone?!”

Isaac turned to look at Rivelia who shouted out in anger behind his back.

“Hey, damsel. Were any of them forced to come here? Didn’t they all volunteer, tempted by the million Giga and the t.i.tle and fiefdom of a Count? You’re going to have to put your life on the line for such a reward. Well, I guess even that’s cancelled thanks to a spoiled damsel stepping in. I guess it’s just too bad for the dead. Make sure you give them a funeral at least.”

Rivelia shouted out at Isaac’s back who continued to walk away.

“Stop right there!”

Rivelia tried to grab at Isaac, but she was stopped by the North Bears.

“Why are you stopping me!”

“… Don’t.”

“Kunette!”

“… I’m on Isaac’s side.”

“Me too, probably…”

Reisha stepped up to join Kunette’s side with her hand raised. Rivelia looked at Kunette and Reisha bitterly before shouting out at Isaac once more, who continued to walk farther away.

“This is absolutely unforgivable! I will tell the Grand Council of this!”

Isaac didn’t even turn to look at Rivelia, only waving his hand once to let her know to try her best.

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