Chapter 14

The morning after meeting Klaus, the lord of Volsard, a somewhat lecherous old man, I was heading to the guild as usual when I sank into the shadows of a back alley.

Of course, Reinhardt and Bastien were keeping watch to make sure no one saw me.

Once I had sunk into the shadow realm, I searched for Fred and moved there in an instant.

"Fred, I'm going to move over there, so please keep an eye out."

"Understood... everything is fine here..."

The night before, during our special training, I had tried to see if I could move not only to places I had been in the past but also to where Reinhardt and the others were.

As a result, I found that if Reinhardt and the others acted as markers, I could move to places I had never been before.

Yeah, this is super convenient... and the place I moved to was Lastock in the Reisenburg Kingdom, ready to infiltrate the enemy's hideout.

Yesterday, while having dinner with Klaus, I decided to side with the Republic of Lanzhelt... no, with Volsard.

The reason was the difference in how they viewed people.

"Idiot! Listen, Kent. There are people who are no good without effort, but there's no one who is no good even with effort. Even if someone is no good now, it means they have a lot of potential if you look at them differently! "

When I said I was a useless kid, Klaus yelled at me.

"It's your job to figure out how to make them grow and bring out their potential. It takes fifteen years for a person to be able to work like you, Kent, and another ten years to become a full-fledged adult. When you think about it, you can't just give up on someone because they seem useless at first glance. To raise new people, you have to spend that much time, effort, and money. Can you afford to waste such a valuable resource?"

Volsard is called the "End of the World" in the Republic of Lanzhelt.

It is protected by a sturdy wall, but the fact that such a wall is necessary also means there is danger.

Every few years, the number of monsters suddenly increases, and it's not uncommon for civilians, not just guards and adventurers, to become victims.

That's why Klaus feels the preciousness of human resources so deeply.

"Listen, Kent. You might not have the talent for magic, but you survived the Demon Forest. Have confidence. There's still talent in you. Try different jobs to find it. If Donovan and Gerrick offer to train you, go all out like you did today. And learn from many failures. If you do, you will definitely, definitely find a way to shine! Got it?"

"Y-Yes, I understand... ugh..."

Embarrassingly, I ended up crying in front of Klaus and Muell.

In Japan, I used to doze off all the time and was always scolded, and every time, I was labeled as useless.

I don't think I've ever been recognized like this before.

Even after knowing that I was deemed a dud by the "Magic Eye Crystal," Klaus still firmly believed I could shine, unlike the evil princess who tried to get rid of me and then dispose of me without getting her hands dirty.

There's no question which side I would choose.

I decided to eventually help my classmates escape to Volsard.

However, it's not that simple.

I can move through shadows effortlessly, but I don't know if I can move with someone else.

If that's the case, to get everyone to Volsard, we would have to traverse the Demon Forest.

Of course, if we use Reinhardt and the others as guards, the chances of success would increase, but it's still a daunting task to protect nearly two hundred people.

Naturally, there's also the worry that Reisenburg will send pursuers.

So, I decided to first assess the current situation.

Klaus's impression after meeting him was slightly different from the impression he gave based on the information I had before meeting him.

I don't doubt Fred's report, but I wanted to see the current situation with my own eyes.

Lastock, the town where the Reinhardt and the others lived, didn't exist when they were alive.

It used to be just a grassland or wasteland, but now it's a town surrounded by harvested wheat fields, apparently developed after Reinhardt and the others died.

The garrison where my classmates were taken is on the outskirts of the town, at the edge of the Demon Forest, where a river flows.

It seems to serve as a defense against monsters crossing the river, surrounded by a sturdy wall with a thick iron gate that is now open, and guards standing at the entrance.

However, with the shadows of trees, buildings, and people, Reinhardt and I, who can move through shadows, infiltrated without any trouble.

Mwahaha, dark attribute mages are really overpowered.

In the vast military facility, my classmates were divided into several groups based on their attributes and levels, receiving training as mages and knights.

I decided to observe them in order, starting with the knight training.

The two groups, like me yesterday, were wearing leather helmets, chest armor, and gauntlets, holding wooden swords and facing each other.

Each group had about twenty people, so there were about forty people in total, glaring at each other.

"Both sides, start chanting!"

"Mana, Mana, the Mana that governs the world, gather, gather, gather in my body, flow, flow, flow, Mana, flow and become strength!"

"Start the mock battle!"

"Yaaaaaah!"

Both sides, after chanting in unison, charged at each other with battle cries.

I thought they would form formations like the crane wing or fish scale, or have some kind of strategy, but it was just a straightforward, brute-force battle.

Both groups had a mix of boys and girls, and there was no sign of the boys going easy on the girls.

In fact, the girls were holding their own and even outperforming the boys, making it look like a serious, life-or-death struggle, which was a bit scary.

"What's wrong! Useless people are not needed in Reisenburg. Do you want to be food for the monsters in the Demon Forest?"

"If you don't want to die, kill your opponent! If you don't kill, you will be killed!"

"If you keep this up, you'll just be food for the monsters! Kill, kill, kill!"

Wow... being useless and becoming monster food, that's me, isn't it... being used as a threat.

"Reinhardt, was that the chant for body enhancement?"

"Yes, the degree of enhancement and the duration it can be maintained determine a knight's evaluation."

"How much can it be enhanced?"

"Well, for someone with low magic power, it's about a 50% increase, but for someone with high magic power, it can be three to five times the enhancement."

I see, so the evil princess who threw me around with one hand must be a knight type with high magic power.

While I was thinking about this, the mock battle seemed to be coming to a conclusion.

It seems the rule for victory is to fight the opponent, win, and go to the opponent's side of the field, with the group that reaches the other side with the most people winning.

Both the boys and girls were in rough shape, whether they won or lost.

I saw a girl with a bloody nose for the first time, and it was really scary.

"Reinhardt, if they keep training this hard, won't they become soldiers in about a year?"

"No, Kent, this method will instill a fighting spirit, but it won't teach them how to fight or make calm judgments. This is a bad training method that existed even in our time."

"Is that so? Isn't this the life-or-death training you mentioned before?"

"By 'life-or-death,' I meant pushing oneself to the limit, not just doing dangerous training recklessly."

"Hmm... so there's a meaningful life-or-death and a meaningless life-or-death?"

"Exactly."

In another area, mage training was taking place.

It seemed similar to the guild's mage training, where they practiced casting spells at targets.

"Mana, Mana, the Mana that governs the world... g-gather, gather, gather in my hand, become fire... d-dance, dance, dance, fire, become a fireball! Yaaaah!"

The spell cast by the girl student dispersed as soon as it left her hand.

"No good, no good, chant more accurately and visualize more clearly. With such a halting chant, how can it become a fireball, you fool!"

"I-I'm sorry!"

The chant for casting magic, of course, is in the language of this world.

Due to the summoning, I can speak, read, write, and understand it, but the pronunciation is like a foreign language.

That's why everyone seems to struggle with chanting, and they often fail to cast spells and get kicked by the knights.

I wonder if chanting is really necessary.

While I was thinking about this, the handsome guy from the basketball club appeared.

"Mana, Mana, the Mana that governs the world, gather, gather, gather in my hand, become fire, dance, dance, dance, fire, become a fireball! Yaaaah!"

Wow, the fireball from the guild training was about the size of a softball, but this one was about the size of a basketball, and it seemed to be moving at about 150 kilometers per hour.

It turned the straw dummy to ash in an instant, and the Reisenburg mages watching applauded in admiration.

Tch, he should struggle more with the chant, but that's why handsome guys are... I was a bit annoyed, and then a blonde beauty walked up with a towel in her hand.

"Of course, my hero."

"Thank you, Sylia, but this is easy for me."

No, you didn't even break a sweat.

Wait, hero? Oh, we were just supposed to be soldiers, weren't we?

According to Fred, this blonde beauty is the handsome guy's personal maid, who takes care of his daily needs and lives with him.

What the... that's a complete honey trap, isn't it?

How envious... no, how terrifying, but with my overpowered magic, I would... completely fall for it and be stripped of my will.

"Hero, are you going to continue training?"

"Of course, I need to become even stronger. To prevent any more sacrifices, I need to become strong enough to make up for those who lack strength!"

Wow, you're trying to create a tragic atmosphere that you don't really feel.

And that sacrifice is right under your feet.

Let the popular guys explode on their own, I thought as I left the mage training area and found a place where some construction work was being done.

Looking closely, the people here were also my classmates, and I saw Funayama.

"Kent, this is the training ground for earth attribute mages."

"Earth attribute training...?"

The people here were all covered in mud, shaping the clay into molds.

Oh, and among them was Ms. Sugiyama, the student teacher.

Ms. Sugiyama, after filling the mold with clay, began to chant.

"Mana, Mana, the Mana that governs the world, gather, gather, gather in my hand, seep into the earth, seep, seep, seep into the earth, and harden!"

"Let's see... good, next!"

After the chant, a Reisenburg knight inspected the result with a hammer.

The ones that passed were U-shaped gutters.

It seems they are making materials for construction as part of their training.

Among all the places I've seen, this one was the most mundane and the most tiring, with everyone looking exhausted.

"Mana, Mana, the Mana that governs the world... g-gather, gather, gather in my hand... s-seep into the earth, s-seep, seep, seep into the earth, and harden!"

Wow... Funayama's chant is so halting, is he okay?

"Let's see... tch, it's not hardening at all. What are you doing, big guy? Do you want to be monster food?"

"Ugh... I can't do this pointless work... ugh..."

"Really, do you have no ability to learn?"

Oh, the knight is hanging Funayama by the neck with one hand.

Ms. Sugiyama, who wants to intervene but can't find the right moment, is flustered.

Despite the tense situation, it's somehow comforting and healing.

"Obey or die, big guy, which do you choose?"

"O-obey... s-sir..."

"What? I can't hear you, speak clearly, clearly!"

"Ugh... f-f-obey... s-sir..."

"Ah, you can't speak, huh? Hmph..."

Ah, Funayama is being thrown away like trash again, his face buried in the mud, and I feel a bit sorry for him.

The knight, grabbing Funayama's hair, pulled him up.

"So, which is it, obey or die? Do you want to be monster food?"

"F-f-obey... yes, sir."

"Hmph, if you had said that from the beginning, you wouldn't have had to suffer needlessly. Got it?"

Funayama, with a dissatisfied look on his face, nodded silently.

Hehehe, Funayama is so weak! So pathetic!

By the way, Funayama is a mage, not a knight.

According to Reinhardt, the soldier candidates, after being gathered, are first given a physical test, then taught the chant for body enhancement, and those who don't become significantly stronger are trained as mages.

Funayama is strong without enhancement, but not as strong as those who can use body enhancement, and he lacks agility, so he had no choice but to become a mage.

Reisenburg knight, please reform Funayama properly.

By the way, I don't see the class president. Where is our class president?

"The Holy Maiden is... in the infirmary..."

According to Fred, the class president is in the infirmary, not only treating injured classmates but also the people of Lastock.

Then, let's go see.

Using shadow movement, it's easy to infiltrate the building.

The infirmary is a bit different from a Japanese hospital, with a bathtub-like structure in addition to the examination table.

This bathtub is used by water attribute mages for healing, where they store healing-infused water, and people immerse their injuries in it.

However, the class president is a light attribute mage, so she performs treatments on the examination table.

"Mana, Mana, the Mana that governs the world, gather, gather, gather in my hand, become healing!"

The class president, after chanting clearly, placed her hands on the waist of the man sitting on the examination table.

After about three minutes, the treatment seemed to be over.

"How are you feeling?"

"Yes, thanks to you, I'm feeling much better. Thank you, Holy Maiden."

"Good, then see you tomorrow."

"Yes, thank you, Holy Maiden."

The class president, after treating about ten people for about three minutes each, sighed deeply and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

Seeing this, a woman who seemed to be her assistant called out to her.

"Holy Maiden, take a break..."

"No, I'm still okay."

"Holy Maiden, there are still many people waiting for treatment. For the sake of treating as many people as possible, please take a proper break."

"Ah... you're right, I'll take a break."

The class president, sinking into a sofa in the corner of the room, sighed deeply.

"Indeed, as Fred said, Kent is more skilled as a healer."

"Hmm... but we didn't compare them strictly, and I think the